Anne In The Land Of Oz
by MisuteriTenshi
Summary: When Anne Chan gets knocked out by a tree branch in a hurricane, what will happen next? Read to find out more! Please read and review!
1. Anne's One Wish Part 1

** Disclaimer: I don't own Amazing Chan And The Chan Clan, Amazing Chan And The Chan Clan is a copyright of Hanna Barbera, I also don't own The Wizard Of Oz, The Wizard Of Oz is a copyright of MGM Studios.**

** Anne's One Wish Part 1**

** One summer day in New Orleans in the year of 1980, 16-year-old Anne Chan was running back to her family's three bedroom suite with Chu Chu by her side.**

** Anne stopped and sat on the ground for a quick rest.**

** "She isn't coming yet, Chu Chu," Anne said to the little dog. "did she hurt you? She tried to, didn't she? Come on, we'll go tell Pop and Rosa, come on, Chu Chu."**

** Anne's stepmother, Rosa, and her father, Charlie Chan were sorting through their suitcases and putting their things away.**

** James Louis, Anne's loving boyfriend had stayed behind in Sacramento California because he was on the graveyard shift at the restaurant, due to the foreign exchange student program at Winston Prep Academy ending the previous year in 1979, his family had relocated to the city of Sacramento.**

** Anne quickly ran up to her father and Rosa.**

** "These are Henry's suitcases." Rosa said to Charlie.**

** "Those belong in the boys' bedroom." Charlie said to Rosa.**

** "These are Stanley's suitcases." Rosa said to Charlie.**

** "Again, those belong in the boys' bedroom." Charlie said to Rosa.**

** "Rosa! Rosa! Just listen to what Miss Avondale did to Chu Chu." Anne shouted in a panic.**

** "Anne, please," Rosa said. "we're trying to sort the suitcases."**

** "But, Rosa, she hit him." Anne insisted.**

** "Don't bother us now, honey," Charlie said to Anne. "we have to get this luggage cart back to the lobby as soon as possible."**

** "Oh, oh, I see, but Rosa! Miss Avondale hit Chu Chu right over the back with her handbag... all because she says he takes her gloves... and chases her nasty old cat every time we come here." Anne protested to her stepmother.**

** "These are Suzie's suitcases." Rosa said to Charlie.**

** "Those belong in the girls' bedroom." Charlie said to Rosa.**

** "Anne, please." Rosa said.**

** "But he doesn't do it every time we come here," Anne protested to Rosa. "just one day every week to two weeks or so, and he can't catch her old cat anyway, and now she says she going to get the police lieutenant."**

** "Anne," Rosa said, now annoyed. "we're busy."**

** "All right." Anne sighed.**

** Anne walked into the suite's living room where she found three of her six brothers, her twin, Alan, Stanley, who was turning 19-years-old that November, and her brother, Flip who had turned 12-years-old the month before which was July, working on Alan's new invention.**

** "How's she coming?" Alan asked impatiently.**

** "Take it easy." Flip said to his intolerant brother.**

** Stanley **_**accidently**_** pinched his finger in Alan's invention, "Wham, bam, I need a band aid! You got my finger!" he shouted at Flip.**

** "Well," Flip asked Stanley. "why don't you get your finger out of the way?"**

** Alan helped Stanley free his finger, "There you are." he said gently.**

** "Right on my finger." Stanley said.**

** "It's a lucky thing it was neither your head or your neck." Alan said.**

** "Alan, what am I going to do about Miss Avondale? Just because Chu Chu chases her old cat..." Anne began.**

** "Listen, Cheetah," Alan said to Anne kindly but seriously. "I got those musical intruments to bring in."**

** Alan left the living room to grab the children's musical instruments including Anne's keyboard from the Chan van.**

** "Now look, Annie, you aren't using your head about that dame," Flip said. "you'd think you didn't have any brains at all."**

** "I have so got brains," Anne shot back at Flip. "I am four years older than you are after all."**

** "Well, why don't you use them? When you come home, don't go by Miss Avondale's place, then Chu Chu won't chase her cat... and you won't get in any trouble, see?" Flip asked Anne, seeing Alan carrying in the instrument cases in one armload.**

** "Flip," Anne said stubbornly. "you just won't listen, that's all."**

** "Well, your head isn't made of hay, you know." Flip said to Anne.**

** Flip saw Stanley pinch his finger in Alan's invention again.**

** "Say," Alan groaned in pain. "will somebody give me a hand here?"**

** "I'll help you, Alan." Henry said unloading the instruments from Alan's arms.**

** "Listen, Annie," Stanley asked sternly. "are you going to let that old Avondale heifer try and buffalo you? She isn't anything to fear, have a little courage, that's all."**

** "I'm not afraid of her." Anne said to Stanley.**

** "Then the next time she squawks," Stanley advised Anne in a joking manner. "walk right up to her and spit in her eye, that's what I'd do."**

** Anne lost her balance due to being struck in the forehead by Alan's **_**very**_** huge contraption, "Oh! Oh! Alan! Help!" she shouted, falling to the floor.**

** "Okay." Alan said.**

** "Come on, Tiger, help me up!" Anne called.**

** Alan quickly set the instrument cases he held in his arms down, then helped Anne to her feet.**

** "Are you all right, Annie?" Alan asked.**

** "Yes, I'm all right," Anne answered kindly. "I fell down and Alan... why Alan, you're just as scared as I am."**

** "What's the matter," Stanley laughed at Alan. "gonna let a little girl falling down make a chicken out of you?"**

** "Look at you, Alan," Flip joked. "you're just as..."**

** "Here, here, what's all this chitter-chatter when there is unpacking and putting away to be done," Rosa scolded Alan, Flip, and Stanley. "I know of three boys who'll be grounded before they know it."**

** "Well, Anne was walking along..." Alan began.**

** "I saw you tinkering with that contraption, Alan Chan," Rosa scolded. "you &amp; Flip get back to unpacking!"**

** "All right, Rosa, but someday, I'll be a famous inventor!" Alan said, agreeably.**

** "Well don't get your hopes or dreams to high!" Rosa scolded Alan.**

** Stanley just laughed out loud.**

** "Here, here," Rosa said to Stanley. "can't work with a dry throat, have some of the tea that Suzie made."**

** "Golly, Rosa!" Flip exclaimed.**

** "Careful," Rosa said to Flip. "it could still very well be too hot."**

** "You see," Flip explained to Rosa. "Anne toppled over and fell to the floor scaring the lives out of all of us."**


	2. Anne's One Wish Part 2

** Anne's One Wish Part 2**

**"It's no place for your sister around a big contraption like this," Rosa scolded the three boys. "now, Flip, go join your younger siblings outside at the swimming pool, Stanley, you had better bandage your injuries! Both of you had better leave Alan to his work in here!"**

**"Yes, Rosa." Stanley said.**

**"You got it, Rosa!" Flip said, saluting his left hand.**

**Flip, Alan, and Stanley went their separate ways.**

**"Rosa, really," Anne said, now panicking. "you know what Miss Avondale said she was going to do to Chu Chu? She said she was going to..."**

**"Now, Anne," Rosa chided. "stop imagining things, you always get yourself worried over nothing, now you just help us out today and find yourself a place where you won't get into any trouble."**

**Rosa went back to helping Charlie.**

**Anne sighed sadly and ran outside.**

**Chu Chu then raced outside after Anne.**

**Over at the hotel's pool, Anne was still in her usual attire, she didn't even have her swimsuit on underneath because she didn't **_**even**_** feel like swimming today.**

**Tom saw Anne sitting on one of the lounge chairs petting Chu Chu and pondering how to stay out of trouble.**

**"A place where there isn't any trouble," Anne sighed. "do you suppose there is such a place, Chu Chu? There must be, it's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train, it's far, far away... behind the moon... beyond the rain."**

**Tom &amp; Scooter swam up to the edge of the swimming pool.**

**"Come on, Anne," Tom said. "come to your senses!"**

**"Yeah," Scooter said to Anne disbelievably. "there is no place like that here in New Orleans."**

**Anne then began to walk slowly to the hotel's game room to think, leaving Chu Chu at the pool with Suzie, Flip, Tom, Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter.**

**As she was thinking, Anne began to sing.**

**Anne: **_**Somewhere over the rainbow**_**;**

_**Way up high**_**;**

_**There**_**'**_**s a land**_**;**

_**That I**_**'**_**ve heard of**_**;**

_**Once in a lullaby**_**;**

_**Somewhere over the rainbow**_**;**

_**Skies are blue**_**;**

_**And the dreams**_**;**

_**That you dare to dream**_**;**

_**Really do come true**_**;**

_**Someday **__**I**_**'**_**ll wish upon a star**_**;**

_**And wake up where the clouds are far**_**;**

_**Behind me**_**;**

_**Where troubles melt**_**;**

_**Like lemon drops**_**;**

_**Away above the chimney tops**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s where you**_**'**_**ll**_**;**

_**Find me**_**;**

_**Somewhere over the rainbow**_**;**

_**Bluebirds fly**_**;**

_**Birds fly over the rainbow**_**;**

_**Why then**_**;**

_**Oh why**_**;**

_**Can**_**'**_**t I**_**;**

_**If happy little bluebirds fly**_**;**

_**Beyond the rainbow**_**;**

_**Why**_**;**

_**Oh why**_**;**

_**Can**_**'**_**t I**_**?**

**Henry ran up to Anne, "Stanley is trying to cook again." the 20-year-old said.**

**"Oh no! That's trouble!" Anne exclaimed.**

**Anne &amp; Henry raced back to their hotel suite where Scarlet Avondale was talking cruelly to Rosa &amp; Charlie.**

**"Mr. Chan?" Scarlet asked.**

**"Hello, Miss Avondale." Charlie said.**

**"I'm here to see you and your wife right away about Anne." Scarlet said to Charlie.**

**"Anne? Well, what has Anne done?" Charlie asked Scarlet.**

**"What she's done? I'm all but lame from the bite on my leg." Scarlet answered Charlie.**

**"You mean, she bit you?" Charlie asked Scarlet.**

**"No, her dog." Scarlet answered Charlie.**

**"Oh, she bit her dog eh?" Charlie asked Scarlet.**

**"No." Scarlet said to Charlie.**

**Anne was making a famous Louisiana dish, gumbo with crawfish for dinner that night as she &amp; Henry eavesdropped.**

**"Uh-oh," Anne said to Henry. "this sounds like trouble!"**

**"That dog's a menace to the community, I'm taking him to the police lieutenant and making sure he's destroyed." Henry &amp; Anne heard Scarlet say.**

**"You're not kidding this time, Anne!" Henry said.**

**Alan looked up from his tinkering, "Destroyed? Chu Chu?" he asked in alarm.**

**Anne ran into the living room from the kitchen.**

**"You can't! You mustn't! Rosa, Pop, you won't let her, will you?" Anne exclaimed.**

**"Of course we won't, will we, Rosa?" Charlie asked.**

**"Please, Rosa," Anne begged. "Chu Chu didn't mean to, he didn't know he was doing anything wrong, I'm the one who should be punished, I let Chu Chu get her gloves, you can send me to bed tonight without dessert."**

**"If you don't hand over the dog, I'll personally see to it that you and your family don't come back to Louisiana! There's a law protecting folks from dogs that bite." Scarlet threatened Charlie.**

**"How would it be if she kept him tied up? Chu Chu is really gentle." Rosa said.**

**"With gentle people that is." Charlie piped up.**

**"Well, that's for the lieutenant to decide," Scarlet said handing Charlie &amp; Rosa a letter. "here's his order allowing me to take him, unless you want to go against the law."**

**"Yes." Charlie said.**

**"And we can't go against the law, Anne, I'm afraid poor Chu Chu will have to go." Rosa said.**

**"Now you're seeing reason." Scarlet said.**

**"No!" Anne exclaimed courageously.**

**"Here's what I'm taking him in," Scarlet said, holding out a small basket. "so he can't and won't attack me again."**

**"No! I won't let you take him! You go away! I'll bite you myself!" Anne screamed.**

**"Anne!" Rosa scolded.**

**"You wicked old witch," Anne shouted at Scarlet. "Pop, Rosa, don't let her take Chu Chu, don't let her take him, please! Stop her!"**

**"Put him in the basket, Charlie, the idea." Rosa said.**

**"Oh no, don't Pop." Anne begged.**

**Chu Chu was put into the basket as Alan stood and hugged Anne gently.**

**"Don't do this, Anne, you're stronger than this, show some heart!" Alan exclaimed.**

**"Chu Chu." Anne sobbed.**

**Anne raced off to the bedroom she shared with her sisters.**

**"Scarlet Avondale," Rosa shouted. "just because you own half of New Orleans, doesn't mean you can run the rest of us, for fifteen years, I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you, and now, being a kindhearted woman, I can't say it."**

**Rosa left the room as Charlie sat down.**

**A few minutes later, Chu Chu lept from Scarlet's backet and made his way back to the Chan family's hotel suite.**

**Chu Chu then raced into the girls' bedroom, barking.**

**"Chu Chu Darling, I got you back," Anne shouted. "you came back! Oh, I'm so glad! Chu Chu, they'll be coming back for you any time now, we've got to get away! We've got to run away!"**

**A few monents later, Anne &amp; Chu Chu left the hotel to see the sights of Louisiana, but Anne did not leave a note telling her family where she was going.**


	3. Anne's One Wish Part 3

**Anne's One Wish Part 3**

** It was now bedtime as 17-year-old Suzie who was the **_**final**_** Chan child to hit the sack went into her bedroom to find Mimi sleeping in the top bunk and Nancy sleeping in the bottom bunk nearest the door but Anne wasn't in the top bunk that was across the room from Mimi's on the left hand side of the room.**

** "Oh my gosh," Suzie shouted. "Anne is **_**missing**_**!"**

** Nancy &amp; Mimi awoke quickly.**

** "We must go wake the boys!" Nancy exclaimed.**

** Soon enough, Henry, Stanley, Flip, and Scooter were up and at'em but Alan was **_**still**_** sleeping deeply, the other Chan children knew that neither Alan nor Anne were easy risers unless they were **_**late**_** for school.**

** "Not **_**only**_** is Anne missing, but Tom has taken off as well," Henry said. "and we still **_**need**_** to wake Alan!"**

** "Annie," Alan said in his sleep. "you'll always be my favorite sister."**

** "I'll do it!" Scooter exclaimed.**

** Alan was asleep in the bottom bunk of the center bunk bed set, so Scooter jumped on Alan's bed, then he began to shake Alan's shoulders ferociously.**

** "Hey, big brother inventor, get up!" Scooter exclaimed.**

** Alan then &amp; there opened his eyes, "What's going on?" he asked groggily.**

** "I'm afraid that Anne &amp; Tom are missing," Henry said to Alan seriously. "we had better go look for them!"**

** Back with Anne &amp; Chu Chu, they stopped to rest beneath the shade of a mighty oak tree.**

** "Oh, I'm so cold," Anne said to Chu Chu. "it is making me feel sleepy."**

** Anne was about to nod off when she heard a **_**familiar**_** voice calling out her name.**

** "Anne, Anne," the voice called out. "don't fall asleep!"**

** Anne **_**quickly**_** knew who the voice belonged to, "Tom! What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.**

** "It's not safe here, Anne, a storm is on its way," Tom warned. "we **_**must**_** head back to the hotel!"**

** "No way, Tom," Anne disagreed courageously. "I won't let Miss Avondale put Chu Chu down!"**

** "Anne," Tom shouted. "I'm serious! It is dangerous! I know you love Chu Chu, but we must be heading back now!"**

** The wind blew harder as rain began streaming down.**

** Then, thunder crashed.**

** "No," Anne said courageously. "I won't let Chu Chu die! He's a member of our family!"**

** Lightning flashed and broke one of the branches of the tree that Anne was standing under.**

** Due to the tree's branch falling on her head, Anne was **_**immediately**_** knocked out.**

** "Anne!" Tom shouted out in terror.**

** The Chan van pulled up at Anne &amp; Tom's location, and those inside were wearing layers of clothing to stay warm and dry in the storm.**

** "Tom Chan," Rosa scolded. "what were you thinking?"**

** Tom wheezed and then he sneezed.**

** "I was **_**trying**_** to bring Anne back to the hotel!" Tom protested to Rosa.**

** "You are going to have a warm bath as soon as we get back to the hotel," Rosa scolded Tom. "I'll even set out a pair of nice clean pajamas for you to put on, you are catching a cold!"**

** "All right, Rosa." Tom sighed.**

** Tom boarded the Chan van with Anne still upon his back.**

** Once back at the hotel while Tom was taking his warm bubble bath, everyone was in the girls' bedroom changing a now unconscous Anne into her blue pajamas.**

** Chu Chu was also unmoving as Suzie was feeling sad.**

** "Oh," Suzie sighed sadly. "I should have helped Anne stick up for Chu Chu."**

** Alan felt Anne's right hand, now slowly warming up from the blankets that she was covered up in.**

** "Oh, Annie," Alan sobbed bitterly. "I am so sorry!"**

** "Chu Chu! Chu Chu!" Alan heard Anne shouting.**

** Rosa then felt Anne's forehead.**

** "Oh my!" Rosa exclaimed.**

** Charlie came over to his second eldest daughter's bed from Anne's laundry bag after he put her wet day clothes in it, "What's wrong, Rosa?" he asked out of fright.**

** "Anne has a high fever of one hundred and six degrees!" Rosa said to Charlie, now feeling terrified.**

** "Chu Chu! Chu Chu!" Anne shouted again as Tom entered the girls' bedroom in his dry pajamas.**

** "Oh, Anne is just somniloquous," Tom groaned irritably. "as usual."**

** "Come back, Chu Chu!" Anne shouted.**

** "Annie is **_**not**_** talking in her sleep, Tom," Alan protested, sobbing bitterly. "not this time!"**

** "What are you saying, Alan?" Mimi asked curiously.**

** "Annie is delirious!" Alan sobbed bitterly.**

** "My poor favorite athlete." Henry said, sighing sadly.**

** "Crying isn't going to wake her up any quicker." Rosa said to an inconsolable Alan.**

** "But, Rosa, Annie is delirious! I just don't know what to do anymore! I feel so alone without her!" Alan sobbed bitterly.**

** Rosa took her sobbing teenage stepson by the hand.**

** "Come now, Alan," Rosa said gently. "you are just tired, I think it's back to bed for you."**

** "But I am **_**not**_** sleepy!" Alan sobbed loudly, feeling that his heart would **_**never ever**_** mend.**

** "Yes you are," Rosa said to Alan gently. "I can tell that you are."**

** "No, I'm not!" Alan protested, still sobbing.**

** Within Anne's delirious mind, the oak tree with the missing branch fell on someone she didn't recognize.**

** Anne then climbed down the tree, then, she helped Chu Chu down.**

** Anne then walked around the mysterious new land with Chu Chu clutched tightly in her arms.**

** "Chu Chu," Anne said. "I have a feeling we're not in New Orleans anymore."**

** A crowd of small people watched Anne from their hiding place in the grass.**

** "We must be over the rainbow." Anne said to Chu Chu.**

** Anne set Chu Chu down and turned to see a ball of bright turquoise light floating to the ground.**

** Anne began backing away from it as the ball floated closer and closer to her.**

** A lovely 17-year-old girl in a long &amp; flowing turquise gown appeared before Anne &amp; Chu Chu.**

** "Now I know we're not in New Orleans." Anne said to Chu Chu.**

** The girl walked over to Anne &amp; Chu Chu.**

** "Are you a good witch," the girl asked Anne. "or a bad witch?"**

** Anne could see that this girl looked a whole lot like Suzie.**

** Anne just looked around, feeling very confused.**

** "Who me," Anne aasked the girl. "why, I'm not a witch at all, I'm Anne Chan, from New Orleans."**

** "Oh," the girl said to Anne, nodding toward Chu Chu. "well, is that the witch?"**

** "Who, Chu Chu? Chu Chu's my dog." Anne answered the beautiful girl.**

** The girl then laughed.**

** "Well, I'm a little muddled, the Munchkins called me because a new which has just dropped a tree on the Wicked Witch of the East, and there's the tree, and here you are... and that's all that's left of the Wicked Witch of the East." **

** Anne just gasped in shock.**

** "And so what the Munchkins want to know is," the girl continued telling Anne. "are you a good witch or a bad witch?"**


	4. The Good Witch

**The Good Witch**

**"But I've already told you," Anne said to the girl. "I'm not a witch at all, witches are old and ugly."**

**Anne heard the sound of laughter coming from all around her.**

**"What was that?" Anne asked nervously.**

**"The Munchkins, they're laughing because I am a witch," the girl replied. "I'm Guinevere, the Witch of the North."**

**Anne was amazed.**

**"You are? I beg your pardon, but I've never heard of a witch who is as beautiful as Suzie before." Anne said.**

**"Only bad witches are ugly," Guinevere replied to Anne. "and who's Suzie?"**

**"Nevermind." Anne said to Guinevere.**

**"The Munchkins are happy because you freed them from the Wicked Witch of the East." Guinevere said.**

**"Oh, but if you please, what are Munchkins?" Anne asked Guinevere, now feeling baffled.**

**Anne heard the laugheter continue.**

**"The little people who live in this land, it's Munchkin Land, and you are their national heroine my dear." Guinevere explained to Anne.**

**"I see." Anne said, rubbing her itchy eyes.**

**Guinevere turned to the Munchkins.**

**"It's all right," Guinevere called out. "you may all come out and thank her."**

**The Munchkins all came of hiding to greet Anne.**

**Guinevere began singing.**

**Guinevere: **_**Come out**_**;**

_**Come out**_**;**

_**Wherever you are**_**;**

_**And meet the young lady**_**;**

_**Who fell from a star**_**;**

_**She fell from the sky**_**;**

_**She fell very far**_**;**

_**And New Orleans she says**_**;**

_**Is the name of the star**_**;**

**Munchkins: **_**New Orleans she says**_**;**

_**Is the name of the star**_**;**

**Guinevere: **_**She brings you good news**_**;**

_**Or haven**_**'**_**t you heard**_**;**

_**When she fell out of New Orleans**_**;**

_**A miracle occurred**_**;**

**Anne: **_**It really was no miracle**_**;**

_**What happened was just this**_**;**

_**The wind bagan to switch**_**;**

_**The tree to pitch**_**;**

_**And suddenly**_**;**

_**The branches**_**;**

_**Started to unhitch**_**;**

_**Just then**_**;**

_**The witch**_**;**

_**To satisfy an itch**_**;**

_**Went flying on her broomstick**_**;**

_**Thumbing for a hitch**_**;**

**A Male Munchkin: **_**And oh**_**;**

_**What happened then**_**;**

_**Was rich**_**;**

_**Munchkins: The tree bagan to pitch**_**;**

_**The branches took a slitch**_**;**

_**It landed on the Wicked Witch**_**;**

_**In the middle of a ditch**_**;**

_**Which was not a healthy**_**;**

_**Situation for the Wicked Witch**_**;**

_**The tree bagan to pitch**_**;**

_**The branches took a slitch**_**;**

_**It landed on the Wicked Witch**_**;**

_**In the middle of a ditch**_**;**

_**Which was not a healthy**_**;**

_**Situation for the Wicked Witch**_**;**

_**Who began to twitch**_**;**

_**And was reduced to just a stitch**_**;**

_**Of what was once**_**;**

_**The Wicked Witch**_**;**

**A male Munchkin: **_**We thank you**_**;**

_**Very sweetly**_**;**

_**For doing it**_**;**

_**So neatly**_**;**

**Another male Munchkin: **_**You**_**'**_**ve killed her**_**;**

_**So completely**_**;**

_**That we**_**;**

_**Thank you**_**;**

_**Very sweetly**_**;**

**Guinevere: **_**Let the joyous news be spread**_**;**

_**The wicked**_**, **_**old witch at last is dead**_**;**

**Everyone began to cheer loudly.**

**The Munchkins began to sing again.**

**Muchkins: **_**Ding**_**-**_**dong**_**;**

_**The witch is dead**_**;**

_**Which old witch**_**;**

_**The wicked witch**_**;**

_**Ding**_**-**_**dong**_**;**

_**The Wicked Witch is dead**_**;**

_**Wake up you sleepyhead**_**;**

_**Rub your eyes**_**;**

_**Get out of bed**_**;**

_**Wake up the Wicked Witch is dead**_**;**

_**She**_**'**_**s gone where the goblins go**_**;**

_**Below**_**;**

_**Below**_**;**

_**Below**_**;**

_**Yo**_**-**_**ho**_**;**

_**Let**_**'**_**s open up and sing**_**;**

_**And ring the bells out**_**;**

_**Ding**_**-**_**dong**_**;**

_**The merry**_**-**_**oh**_**;**

_**Sing it high**_**;**

_**Sing it low**_**;**

_**Let them know**_**;**

_**The Wicked Witch is dead**_**;**

**Anne got out of the carriage she was riding in the entire time as the Munchkin Mayor began to sing.**

**Munchkin Mayor: **_**As Mayor of the Munchkin City**_**;**

_**In the County of the Land of Oz**_**;**

_**I welcome you most regally**_**;**

**Male Munchkin: **_**But we**_**'**_**ve got to verify it legally**_**;**

_**To see**_**;**

**Munchkin Mayor: **_**To see**_**;**

**Male Munchkin: **_**If she**_**;**

**Munchkin Mayor: **_**If she**_**;**

**Munchkin Mayor &amp; Male Munchkins: **_**Is morally**_**;**

_**Ethically**_**;**

_**Spiritually**_**;**

_**Physically**_**;**

_**Positively**_**;**

_**Absolutely**_**;**

_**Undeniably and reliably**_**;**

_**Dead**_**;**

**The Munchkin Coroner came up to the mayor with a scroll of paper in his hands.**

**Munchkin Coroner: **_**As coroner I must aver**_**;**

_**I thoroughly examined her**_**;**

_**And she's not only merely dead**_**;**

_**She**_**'**_**s really most sincerely dead**_**;**

**Munchkin Mayor: **_**Then this is a day of independence for all the Munchkins**_**;**

_**And their descendants**_**;**

**Male Munchkin: **_**If any**_**;**

**Munchkin Mayor: **_**Yes**_**;**

_**Let the joyous news be spread**_**;**

_**The wicked**_**,**_** old witch at last is dead**_**;**

**The Munchkins continued celebrating as they continued singing.**

**Muchkins: **_**Ding**_**-**_**dong**_**;**

_**The witch is dead**_**;**

_**Which old witch**_**;**

_**The wicked witch**_**;**

_**Ding**_**-**_**dong**_**;**

_**The Wicked Witch is dead**_**;**

_**Wake up you sleepyhead**_**;**

**Rub your eyes;**

_**Get out of bed**_**;**

_**Wake up the Wicked Witch is dead**_**;**

_**She**_**'**_**s gone where the goblins go**_**;**

_**Below**_**;**

_**Below**_**;**

_**Below**_**;**

_**Yo**_**-**_**ho**_**;**

_**Let**_**'**_**s open up and sing**_**;**

_**And ring the bells out**_**;**

_**Ding**_**-**_**dong**_**;**

_**The merry**_**-**_**oh**_**;**

_**Sing it high**_**;**

_**Sing it low**_**;**

_**Let them know**_**;**

_**The Wicked Witch is dead**_**;**

**Three Munchkin children, two girls and one boy came out to greet Anne, Anne thought they were Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter, because they looked so much like her youngest sisters and brother.**

**Munchkin Children: **_**We represent**_**;**

_**The Lullaby League**_**;**

_**The Lullaby League**_**;**

_**The Lullaby League**_**;**

_**And in the name of**_**;**

_**The Lullaby League**_**;**

_**We wish to welcome you**_**;**

_**To Munchkin Land**_**;**

**"Nancy, Mimi, Scooter." Anne said, sighing sadly.**

**An older group of Munchkins came up and introduced themselves to Anne.**

**Older Munchkins: **_**We represent**_**;**

_**The Lollipop Guild**_**;**

_**The Lollipop Guild**_**;**

_**The Lollipop Guild**_**;**

_**And in the name of**_**;**

_**The Lollipop Guild**_**;**

_**We wish to welcome you**_**;**

_**To Munchkin Land**_**;**

**Munchkins: **_**We welcome you**_**;**

_**To Munchkin Land**_**;**

**Munchkin Mayor: **_**From now on**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**ll be history**_**;**

**Male Munchkins: **_**You**_**'**_**ll be his**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**ll be his**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**ll be history**_**;**

_**And we will**_**;**

_**Glorify your name**_**;**

_**You will be a bust**_**;**

_**Be a bust**_**;**

_**Be a bust**_**;**

_**In the hall of fame**_**.**

**The celebration continued, until an uninvited guest decided to crash the party, causing all the Munchkins to flee in terror.**

**Anne gasped in fright.**

**"I thought you said she was dead." Anne said to Guinevere, now horrified.**

**"That was her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East," Guinevere said. "this is the Wicked Witch of the West, she's worse than the other one was."**

**"Who killed my sister? Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?" the Wicked Witch of the West asked Anne angrily.**

**"No, it was an accident, I didn't mean to kill anybody." Anne said courageously.**

**"Well, my little pretty," the Wicked Witch of the West cackled. "I can cause accidents too."**

**"Aren't you forgetting the ruby sneakers?" Guinevere asked the Wicked Witch of the West.**

**"The sneakers, yes," the Wicked Witch said. "the sneakers."**

**The ruby red &amp; white lace up athletic shoes vanished from the dead Witch of the East's feet and they appeared right on Anne's feet.**


	5. Anne Meets The Scarecrow

** Anne Meets The Scarecrow**

** "Miss Avondale!" Anne exclaimed, forcing bravery as she made another connection.**

** "They're gone," the Witch of the West growled. "the ruby sneakers, what have you done with them? Give them back or I'll..."**

** "It's too late," Guinevere said to the Wicked Witch of the West. "there they are and there they'll stay."**

** Anne just gasped when she found the brightly colored red sneakers on **_**her**_** feet.**

** "Give me back my sneakers," the Witch of the West ordered Anne. "I'm the only one who knows how to use them, they're no use to you, give them back to me, give them back."**

** "Keep tight inside of them," Guinevere said to Anne in a whisper. "their magic must be very powerful or she wouldn't want them so badly."**

** "You stay out of this, Guinevere," the Witch of the West threatened. "or I'll fix you as well!"**

** "Rubbish, you have no power here, begone, before somebody drops a tree on you too." Guinevere said to the Wicked Witch of the West.**

** "Very well, I'll bide my time, and as for you, my fine lady, it's true, I can't attend to you here and now as I'd like... but just try to stay out of my way... just try, I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" the witch said to both Guinevere &amp; Anne threateningly.**

** The Wicked Witch of the West then vanished in a cloud of orange smoke.**

** The Munchkins all gasped out of fright.**

** "It's all right, you can get up," Guinevere said to the Munchkins. "she's gone, it's all right, you can get up, what a smell of sulfer, I'm afraid you've made a rather bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West."**

** "You are right about that." Anne said logically to Guinevere.**

** "The sooner you get out of Oz altogether," Guinevere said to Anne. "the safer you'll sleep, my dear."**

** "Oh, I'd give anything to get out of Oz altogether," Anne said to Guinevere. "but which is the way back to New Orleans? I can't go the way I came."**

** "No, that's true," Guinevere said to Anne. "the only person who might know would be the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz himself."**

** "The Wizard of Oz," Anne asked Guinevere curiously. "is he good or is he wicked?"**

** "Oh very good but very mysterious," Guinevere said to Anne. "he lives in the Emerald City."**

** "The Emerald City," Anne asked Guinevere. "you mean Seattle Washington?"**

** "Seattle Washington? Where's that?" Guinevere asked Anne, feeling baffled.**

** "Nevermind." Anne said to Guinevere.**

** "Anyway," Guinevere said to Anne. "the Emerald City is a long journey from here, did you bring your broomstick with you?"**

** "No, I didn't." Anne said to Guinevere.**

** "Well then, you'll have to walk, the Munchkins will see you safely to the border of Munchkin Land." Guinevere said to Anne.**

** "All right." Anne said.**

** "And remember, **_**never**_** let those ruby sneakers off your feet for a moment," Guinevere warned Anne. "or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West."**

** Anne had an expression of worry on her face.**

** "But how do I start for Emerald City?" Anne asked Guinevere worriedly.**

** "It's always best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the yellow-brick road." Guinevere advised Anne.**

** Anne walked a few steps and turned around, "But what happens if I..." she began.**

** "Just follow the yellow-brick road." Guinevere advised Anne again.**

** Guinevere then disappeared from Anne's view.**

** "Good bye." the Munchkins said to Guinevere, running after the ball of light.**

** "My! People come and go so quickly here." Anne said.**

** The Munchkins all laughed.**

** "Follow the yellow-brick road," Anne said, taking a few steps. "follow the yellow-brick road."**

** "Follow the yellow-brick road." the Mayor of the Munchkins said.**

** Anne took a few more steps and was suddenly stopped by another male Munchkin.**

** "Follow the yellow-brick road." the male Munchkin said to Anne.**

** Anne took a few more steps and was suddenly stopped by a female Munchkin.**

** "Follow the yellow-brick road." the female Munchkin said to Anne.**

** Anne stopped walking to rest.**

** "Follow the yellow-brick road." another male Munchkin said to Anne.**

** The Munchkins began to sing as Anne began skipping again in her new ruby sneakers with Chu Chu by her side.**

** Munchkins: **_**Follow the yellow**_**-**_**brick road**_**;**

_**Follow the yellow**_**-**_**brick road**_**;**

_**Follow**_**;**

_**Follow**_**;**

_**Follow**_**;**

_**Follow**_**;**

_**Follow the yellow**_**-**_**brick road**_**;**

_**Follow the yellow**_**-**_**brick**_**;**

_**Follow the yellow**_**-**_**brick**_**;**

_**Follow the yellow**_**-**_**brick road**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**ll find he is**_**;**

_**A wiz of a wiz**_**;**

_**If ever a wiz there was**_**;**

_**If ever**_**;**

_**Oh ever**_**;**

_**A wiz there was**_**;**

_**The Wizard of Oz is one because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because of the**_**;**

_**Wonderful things**_**;**

_**He does**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**.**

** A few hours later, Anne was out of Munchkin Land and she stopped running to rest in a corn field which was also located at a fork in the road.**

** "Follow the yellow-brick road? Follow the yellow... now which way do we go?" Anne asked, feeling confused.**

** "Pardon me," the scarecrow in the field said to Anne. "that way is a very nice way."**

** Anne turned around to see the scarecrow pointing with his left hand.**

** "Who said that? Flip?" Anne asked, still feeling confused.**

** Chu Chu began barking like crazy.**

** "Don't be silly, Chu Chu," Anne scolded the dog. "scarecrows don't talk."**

** "It's pleasant down that way too." the scarecroe said, pointing with his right hand.**

** "That's funny," Anne said. "wasn't he pointing the **_**other**_** way?"**

** "Of course," Anne heard the scarecrow. "people **_**do**_** go both ways."**

** Anne was now shocked.**

** "Why, you **_**did**_** say something, didn't you?" Anne asked the scarecrow.**

** The scarecrow shook his head, then he nodded his head.**

** "Are you doing that on purpose," Anne asked the scarecrow. "or can't you make up your mind?"**

** "That's the trouble, I can't make my mind," the scarecrow said to Anne honestly. "I haven't got a brain, only straw."**

** "How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?" Anne asked the scarecrow curiously.**

** "I don't know," the scarecrow answered Anne honestly. "but some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?"**

** "Yes, I guess you're right." Anne answered the scarecrow honestly.**

** Anne climbed up to look the scarecrow in the eye.**

** "Well, we haven't really met properly," Anne said to the scarecrow. "have we?"**

** "Why no," the scarecrow said to Anne. "I guess we haven't."**

** "How do you do?" Anne asked the scarecrow.**

** "How do you do?" the scarecrow answered back to Anne.**

** "Very well," Anne said to the scarecrow. "thank you."**

** "Oh, I'm not feeling at all well," the scarecrow said to Anne, sighing bluely. "you see, it's very boring being stuck up here all day long with a pole up your back."**

** "Oh dear," Anne said to the scarecrow kindly. "that must be **_**terribly**_** uncomfortable can't you get down?"**


	6. Off To See The Wizard Part 1

**Off To See The Wizard Part 1**

**The next morning in New Orleans after breakfast, Alan was staying by Anne's bedside, everyone thought he had no more tears left to cry but he had proven them wrong.**

**Suzie could still hear Alan's pathetic sobbing from all the way in the bedroom her six brothers all shared.**

**"Chu Chu, Chu Chu, I won't let her take you!" Anne shouted deliriously.**

**Rosa was helping Mimi and Scooter make some homemade chicken rice soup for Tom who was still sick with a cold.**

**At the same time, Flip was taking care of Chu Chu, who didn't want to leave Anne's side.**

**And Nancy saw Anne shaking like a leaf with cold chills, so she turned down the air conditioner, then covered Anne with a few more down blankets.**

**Everyone was rushing around until it was time to practice.**

**But neither Henry, Stanley, Suzie, nor Alan felt like playing music.**

**Back in Anne's delirious mind in the Land of Oz, the scarecrow &amp; Anne were now continuing their conversation.**

**"Down? No, you see, I'm... well, I'm..." the scarecrow said to Anne.**

**Anne climbed up to help the scarecrow and helped him down.**

**"Oh! Well, here let me help you." Anne said.**

**"Oh, that's very kind of you," the scarecrow said to Anne. "very kind."**

**Anne then got behind the scarecrow, "Oh dear, I don't quite see how I can..." she began.**

**"Of course," the scarecrow said to Anne. "I'm not bright about doing things but if you'll just bend the nail down in the back, maybe I'll slip off and come..."**

**"Oh yes." Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**Anne did as the scarecrow said and bent the nail in the back down.**

**"Whoa," the scarecrow shouted, falling to the ground. "woops! There goes some of me again."**

**Back in the hotel suite, Charlie came into the girls' bedroom where Alan still knelt by Anne's bedside.**

**"It is now time for supper, Alan." Charlie said kindly.**

**"I... am not hungry." Alan sobbed.**

**Suzie came into the bedroom she shared with Anne, Mimi, and Nancy.**

**"I know how you feel, Alan," Suzie said. "but our spirited athlete would still wish for you to be happy."**

**"Aw, Suzie," Alan sobbed bitterly. "how can I be happy when the person most precious to me is delirious?"**

**"I know Anne's deliriousness is giving you a very hard time, Alan," Suzie said gently. "but you should really eat something."**

**Alan turned to Suzie, his eyes were all red from sobbing like crazy.**

**"Okay," Alan said to Suzie, sighing. "but on one condition."**

**Suzie looked at Alan, "What is the condition?" she asked him.**

**"If I can stay by Anne's side." Alan said to Suzie.**

**Suzie looked at Alan, "I don't know." she said apprehensively**

**"Please Suzie," Alan begged. "Annie needs me!"**

**"Home! Home," Anne shouted deliriously. "I want to go home!"**

**"Okay, Alan," Suzie sighed. "you may stay by Anne's side."**

**"Home! Home," Anne shouted deliriously once again. "I want to go home!"**

**Back in Anne's delirious mind, the scarecrow answered Anne's question.**

**"No, I just keep picking it up and putting it back in again, my! It's good to be free." the scarecrow answered Anne.**

**The scarecrow slipped and fell to the ground, making Anne gasp.**

**"Did I scare you?" the scarecrow asked Anne.**

**"No, no," Anne answered the scarecrow kindly. "I just thought you hurt yourself."**

**"But I didn't scare you?" the scarecrow asked Anne.**

**"No, of course not." Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**"I didn't think so." the scarecrow said to Anne.**

**A crow then landed on the scarecrow's right shoulder.**

**"Boo, scat, boo!" Anne heard the scarecrow shout at the crow.**

**The crow flew off.**

**"You see," the scarecrow said to Anne with a discouraged sounding sigh. "I can't even scare a crow, they come from miles around just to eat in my field and laugh in my face, oh! I'm a failure because I haven't got a brain."**

**"Well," Anne asked the scarecrow. "what would you do with a brain if you had one?"**

**"Do? Why, if I had a brain I could..." the scarecrow began**

**The scarecrow began to sing to Anne.**

**Scarecrow: **_**I could wile away the hours**_**;**

_**Confirmin**_**'**_** with the flowers**_**;**

_**Consultin**_**' **_**with the rain**_**;**

_**And my head I**_**'**_**d be scratchin**_**';**

_**While my thoughts were busy hatchin**_**';**

_**If I only had a brain**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**d unravel every riddle**_**;**

_**For any individle**_**;**

_**In trouble or in pain**_**;**

**Anne caught the scarecrow and began to sing back to him.**

**Anne: **_**With the thoughts you**_**'**_**d be thinkin**_**';**

_**You could be another Lincoln**_**;**

_**If you only had a brain**_**;**

**Scarecrow: **_**Oh I could tell you why**_**;**

_**The ocean**_**'**_**s near the shore**_**;**

_**I could think of things**_**;**

_**I never thunk before**_**;**

_**And then I**_**'**_**d sit**_**;**

_**And think some more**_**;**

_**I would not be just a nuffin**_**';**

_**My head all full of stuffin**_**';**

_**My heart all full of pain**_**;**

_**I would dance and be merry**_**;**

_**Life would be a ding**_**-**_**a**_**-**_**derry**_**;**

_**If I only had a brain**_**.**

**The scarecrow fell down again as Anne helped him put his missing hay back inside him.**

**"Wonderful," Anne said to the scarecrow. "why, your reckless behavior makes me glad I didn't get a pet scarecrow!"**

**"What do you mean?" the scarecrow asked Anne now feeling confused.**

**"Nevermind, anyway, you remind me so much of Flip back in New Orleans." Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**"Where's New Orleans," the scarecrow asked Anne. "and who's Flip?"**

**"That's where I'm vacationing for my father &amp; stepmother's first ever wedding anniversary," Anne answered the scarecrow. "and I want to get back there so badly I'm going all the way to Emerald City to get the Wizard of Oz to help me."**

**"You're going to see a wizard," the scarecrow asked Anne. "do you think if I went with you, this wizard would give me some brains?"**

**"I couldn't say," Anne answered the scarecrow. "but even if he didn't, you'd be no worse off than you are now."**

**"But maybe you'd better not," Anne told the scarecrow truthfully. "I've got a witch mad at me, and you might get into trouble."**

**"Witch? I'm not afraid of a witch, I'm not afraid of anything... excepted a lighted match." the scarecrow said to Anne.**

**"I don't blame you for that." Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**"But I'd face a whole box full of them for the chance of getting some brains," the scarecrow said to Anne earnestly. "look, I won't be any trouble because I don't eat a thing, and I won't try to manage things because I can't think, won't you take me with you?"**

**"Why, of course I will." Anne answered the scarecrow.**

**"Hooray," the scarecrow cheered. "we're off to see a wizard!"**

**"Oh! Well you're not starting out very well." Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**"Oh, I'll try, really I will." the scarecrow promised.**

**"To Oz?" Anne asked the scarecrow.**

**"To Oz." the scarecrow answered Anne.**

**Anne and the scarecrow began to sing as they walked down the yellow-brick road.**

**Anne &amp; Scarecrow: **_**We**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**;**

_**We hear he is**_**;**

_**A wiz of a wiz**_**;**

_**If ever a wiz there was**_**;**

_**If ever**_**;**

_**Oh ever**_**;**

_**A wiz there was**_**;**

_**The Wizard of Oz is one because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because of the wonderful things**_**;**

_**He does**_**;**

_**We**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**.**

**Back in the hotel suite, Henry came into the bedroom the girls shared, "Pop says it's time for bed, Alan." he said gently.**

**"Oh, Henry," Alan protested. "I'm not tired at all."**


	7. Off To See The Wizard Part 2

** Off To See The Wizard Part 2**

**Henry heard Alan yawning and saw him stretching.**

**"You seem tired to me." Henry said to Alan.**

**Alan yawned again, "But I should stay by Anne's side." he protested to Henry willingly.**

**"Get up off the girls' bedroom floor," Henry said to Alan sternly. "Pop says we need to conserve our energy for sight seeing tomorrow."**

**Alan started standing up but he suddenly stopped where he was, in a kneeling position.**

**"But... I... should... stay... by... Anne's... side..." Alan yawned, still kneeling on the floor.**

**Alan then fell to the floor again, fast asleep with his arms &amp; legs sprawled out in different directions.**

**"Oh, Alan." Henry sighed, showing exasperation.**

**Alan then &amp; there began to dream.**

**Within Alan's dream in the Land of Oz, Anne, Chu Chu, and the scarecrow were skipping down the yellow-brick road when they came across some fountains spouting out beverages of different types than just water.**

**The Wicked Witch of the West was watching them from behind a tree.**

**"Oh! Beverages," Anne exclaimed. "oh! Look!"**

**Anne grabbed a cup and prepared to grab some lemonade from the lemonade fountain when all of a sudden, she got sprayed in the face, "Oh!" she gasped.**

**"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" the lemonade fountain asked Anne furiously.**

**"We've been walking a long ways," Anne explained to the lemonade fountain. "and I was thirsty and... did you say something?"**

**"She was thirsty!" the lemonade fountain exclaimed, laughing.**

**"She was thirsty!" the grape soda fountain exclaimed, laughing.**

**"Well," the lemonade fountain asked. "how would you like to have someone come along and take a sip from you?"**

**"Oh dear," Anne said. "I keep forgetting I'm not in New Orleans."**

**"Come along, Anne," the scarecrow said. "you don't want any of those drinks."**

**"Are you hinting that my lemonade isn't what it ought to be?" the lemonade fountain asked the scarecrow.**

**"Oh no," the scarecrow answered sarcastically. "it's just that she doesn't like seeds in her juice or lemonade."**

**"Why you?" the lemonade fountain asked the scarecrow angrily.**

**The beverage fountains started spraying the scarecrow &amp; Anne, causing them to cough &amp; gasp.**

**"I'll show you how to get drinks." the scarecrow whispered to Anne.**

**The scarecrow did a reckless thing by making faces at the beverage fountains who just began spraying at both him and Anne.**

**Anne &amp; the scarecrow gasped, getting soaked.**

**"Hooray! I guess that did it," the scarecrow said to Anne. "help yourself."**

**Anne then put her lemonade cup down and started crawling on her hands &amp; knees in a few bushes with Chu Chu by her side.**

**Anne saw what looked to be a a rusty old suit of armor.**

**"Hello, Stranger." the armor said to Anne in a muffled voice.**

**"Alan?" Anne asked, trying not to cry due to homesickness.**

**"Who is Alan?" the armor asked Anne in a muffled voice curiously.**

**Anne then tapped on the suit of armor.**

**"Why, it's a man! A man made out of tin," Anne exclaimed. "it's not Alan after all!"**

**"Who is Alan?" the armor asked Anne in a muffled voice again.**

**"Nevermind." Anne said, sighing sadly.**

**"What?" the scarecrow asked Anne in confusion running over to her location.**

**"Yes, oh look." Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**The scarecrow banged carelessly on the old suit of armor.**

**"Oilcan, oilcan." the tin man said in a muffled voice.**

**"Did you say something?" Anne asked the tin man.**

**"Oilcan." the tin man said.**

**"He said, 'Oilcan'. " Anne said to the scarecrow.**

**"Oilcan what?" the scarecrow asked Anne.**

**"Oilcan? Oh! Here it is," Anne said, picking up the oilcan. "where do you want to be oiled first?"**

**The next morning, Suzie went into her bedroom.**

**"Alan, Alan," Suzie whispered gently. "wake up, Alan."**

**"Not now, Suzie, I'm exhausted." Alan yawned.**

**Stanley ran into the girls' bedroom too.**

**"Has Alan risen and shined yet, Suzie?" Stanley asked worry-stricken.**

**"No, Stanley, he has not." Suzie sighed bluely.**

**"Do you think his Sleeping Sickness could be caused by Anne's deliriousness?" Stanley asked Suzie.**

**"It must be." Suzie said to Stanley.**

**Alan just sighed.**

**"I WON'T GIVE UP MY RUBY SNEAKERS!" Anne yelled furiously in her delirium.**

**Charlie came into the girls' bedroom.**

**"Well, everyone," Charlie asked. "are you up and ready to go see the sights?"**

**"Alan's not ready yet, Pop." Stanley tattled.**

**"Alan, Alan," Charlie said kindly. "time to wake up."**

**Alan just groaned and sighed in his sleep.**

**Back in Oz, Anne and the scarecrow were trying to figure out where the tin man wanted to be oiled first.**

**"My mouth." the tin man said, his voice still muffled.**

**"He said his mouth." the scarecrow said to Anne.**

**"Okay." Anne said, giving the oilcan to the scarecrow.**

**The scarecrow then oiled one side of the tin man's mouth then handed the oilcan off to Anne, "The other side." he said to Anne.**

**Anne then oiled the other side of the tin man's mouth.**

**"My... my... my goodness," the tin man said. "I can talk again, oil my arms, please, oil my elbows."**

**Anne oiled the tin man's arms &amp; elbows.**

**"Thanks, Cheetah." the tin man said to Anne.**

**Anne gasped &amp; blinked in shock, "Here." she said to the scarecrow, handing him the oilcan.**

**"Thanks." the scarecrow said to Anne.**

**The tin man smashed his ax down on the ground as if to chop down a tree.**

**"Did that hurt at all?" Anne asked the tin man.**

**"No, it feels wonderful, I've held that ax up for ages." the tin man said.**

**"Gosh and golly," Anne said to the tin man. "how did you ever get like this?"**

**"Well, about a year ago, I was chopping that tree," the tin man answered Anne honestly. "when suddenly, it began to snow, I cannot take the freezing cold too well."**

**Now, Anne was even more in shock.**

**"I can't take the freezing cold too well either," Anne confessed, now feeling shocked. "then what happened?"**

**"And right in the middle of a chop," the tin man explained. "I... I fell asleep and rusted solid, and I've been that way ever since."**

**"Well, Buddy," Anne said to the tin man. "you're perfect now."**

**"My neck, my neck," the tin man said to Anne. "perfect? bang on my chest if you think I'm perfect, go ahead, bang on it."**

**Anne banged hard on the tin man's chest and the sound echoed.**

**"Beautiful," the scarecrow said feeling amazed. "what an echo."**

**"It's empty," the tin man explained. "the tinsmith forgot to give me a heart."**

**"No heart?" Anne and the scarecrow asked in unison.**


	8. Off To See The Wizard Part 3

**Off To See The Wizard Part 3**

**"No heart," the tin man sighed sadly. "all hollow."**

**"Oh," Anne said to the tin man, sighing sympathetically. "I am so sorry."**

**The tin man suddenly began to sing.**

**Tin Man: **_**When a man**_**'**_**s an empty kettle**_**;**

_**He should be on his mettle**_**;**

_**And yet I**_**'**_**m torn apart**_**;**

_**Just because I**_**'**_**m presumin**_**';**

_**That I could be kind of human**_**;**

_**If I only had a heart**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**d be tender**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**d be gentle**_**;**

_**And awful sentimental**_**;**

_**Regarding love and art**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**d be friends with the sparrows**_**;**

_**And the boy who shoots the arrows**_**;**

_**If I only had a heart**_**;**

_**Picture me a balcony**_**;**

_**Above a voice sings low**_**;**

_**Wherefore art thou Romeo**_**;**

_**I hear a beat**_**;**

_**How sweet**_**;**

_**Just to register emotion**_**;**

_**Jelousy**_**;**

_**Devotion**_**;**

_**And really feel the part**_**;**

_**I could stay young and chipper**_**;**

_**And I**_**'**_**d lock it with a zipper**_**;**

_**If I only had a heart**_**.**

**The tin man walked a few jerky steps as Anne oiled his knees with the oilcan.**

**As the tin man continued to dance, Anne began to whisper to the scarecrow.**

**"We should really bring that mechanical man with us." Anne whispered to the scarecrow.**

**"Agreed." the scarecrow whispered back to Anne.**

**While the tin man continued to dance, he suddenly stopped and began to lean to his right side.**

**Anne and the scarecrow saw this and ran to their new tin friend to try to steady him on his right.**

**But then, the scarecrow and Anne saw the tin man leaning to his left so they ran in order to steady on that side.**

**Soon, both Anne and the scarecrow were on either side of the tin man steadying him as continued to dance.**

**Soon enough, they were all running and the forest and the scarecrow fell down.**

**The tin man nearly fell down but Anne caught him in the end.**

**"Are you all right?" Anne asked her tin friend.**

**"I'm afraid I'm a little rusty." the tin man admitted to Anne.**

**"Oh dear," Anne said kindly, oiling her metallic friend again. "that was wonderful, you know... we were just wondering why you couldn't come with us to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz for a heart?"**

**The tin man sighed.**

**"Well," the tin man said to Anne. "suppose the wizard wouldn't give me one when we got there."**

**"Oh but he will," Anne insisted to the tin man. "he must! We've come such a long way already."**

**Suddenly, the threesome heard some wicked laughter startling them.**

**"You call that long? Why, you've just begun," the Wicked Witch of the West said to Anne. "helping the little lady along, are you, my fine gentlemen?"**

**"Leave us alone!" Anne shouted at the witch.**

**"Well, stay away from her," the Wicked Witch of the West said to the scarecrow &amp; tin man. "or I'll stuff a mattress with you! And you! I'll use you for a beehive, here, Scarecrow, want to play ball?"**

**The witch then made a fireball appear and set the scarecrow ablaze.**

**"Look out! Fire," the scarecrow exclaimed. "I'm burning! Take it off me!"**

**The tin man put out the flames as the Witch of the West cackled then disappeared in an orange puff of smoke.**

**"I'm not afraid of her. I'll see you get safely to the Wizard now," the scarecrow told Anne. "whether I get a brain or not, stuff a mattress with me, heh!"**

**"I'll see you reach the Wizard, Cheetah, whether I get a heart or not," the tin man said. "beehive bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me."**

**"Oh, you're the best friends anybody ever had," Anne said to the tin man and the scarecrow. "and it's funny, but I feel as if I've known you all the time, but I couldn't have, could I?"**

**"I don't see how," the scarecrow told Anne kindly. "you weren't around when I was stuffed and sewn together, were you?"**

**"And I was standing over there rusting for the longest time, so you couldn't have met me, Annie."**

**Now, Anne felt a pang of sadness.**

**"Still, I wish I could remember, I guess it is just my eyes playing tricks on me," Anne sighed sadly. "but I guess it doesn't matter anyway, we know each other now, don't we?"**

**"That's right." the scarecrow said to Anne.**

**"We do." the tin man said to Anne.**

**"To Oz?" the scarecrow asked.**

**"To Oz." the tin man said.**

**The scarecrow, Anne, Chu Chu, and the tin man began to walk along side by side as Anne sang with the scarecrow and the tin man.**

**Anne, Scarecrow, and Tin Man: **_**We**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**;**

_**We hear he is**_**;**

_**A wiz of a wiz**_**;**

_**If ever a wiz there was**_**;**

_**If ever**_**;**

_**Oh ever**_**;**

_**A wiz there was**_**;**

_**The Wizard of Oz is one because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because of the**_**;**

_**Wonderful things**_**;**

_**He does**_**;**

_**We**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**.**

**Back in New Orleans, Alan had finally opened his brown eyes.**

**Alan looked at Anne and sighed bluely.**

**"Annie," Alan sighed. "why didn't I sense that you were in danger? I am such a bad twin brother!"**

**Anne was shaking with cold chills again, her teeth chattering.**

**"It-it-it'll b-b-b-be o-o-o-o-okay." Anne said deliriously to Alan through chattering teeth, comforting her twin brother.**

**"It will not, Cheetah," Alan yelled out, starting to sob all over again. "I feel as though I hurt you!"**

**"**_**Omae no sei janai**_**, **_**Alan**_**," Anne said in Japanese, squeezing Alan's hand. "it's not your fault."**

**Tom came into the girls' bedroom, he was all better from his cold.**

**"Alan, it's a very nice day outside," Tom said gently. "why don't you go for a walk?"**

**Alan looked up at his 15-year-old brother, "But what are you going to be doing?" he asked Tom, drying his eyes with his left shirt sleeve.**

**Tom just simply looked at Alan.**

**"Permit me to take your place," Tom said to Alan kindly. "I will look after our energetic ray of sunshine."**


	9. Anne Meets The Cowardly Lion

**Anne Meets The Cowardly Lion**

**"Okay, Tom," Alan said, standing up. "and don't worry, Cheetah Cub, I will be back super shortly."**

**Rosa then saw Alan filling his water canteen in the kitchen.**

**"Where are you going, Alan?" Rosa asked curiously.**

**"I'm going to take a walk, Rosa." Alan answered.**

**"Watch out for twigs, Alan Dear," Rosa said. "we can't afford two injured kids, that would just spoil our wedding anniversary vacation."**

**"I'll look out for twigs," Alan said to Rosa. "but your anniversary is not for four more days."**

**Alan then left the hotel suite for his walk.**

**Back in Anne's delirious mind in Oz, the scarecrow, tin man, and Anne were walking through a dark forest.**

**"I don't like this forest," Anne said to her friends, feeling scared. "it's... it's dark and creepy."**

**"Of course, I don't know," the scarecrow said. "but I think it'll get darker before it gets lighter."**

**"Do... do you suppose we'll meet any wild animals?" Anne asked fearfully.**

**"We might." the tin man answered Anne.**

**Anne gasped in fear.**

**"Animals that eat straw?" the scarecrow asked the tin man.**

**"Some," the tin man answered the scarecrow. "but mostly lions and tigers and bears."**

**"Lions?" Anne asked the tin man out of terror.**

**"And tigers?" the scarecrow asked the tin man out of fright as well.**

**"And bears." the tin man told his two comrades.**

**Anne just gasped, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" she exclaimed.**

**"Lions and tigers and bears." Anne, the tin man, and the scarecrow all said.**

**"Oh my!" Anne exclaimed in fright.**

**"Lions and tigers and bears." Anne, the tin man, and the scarecrow all said.**

**"Oh my!" Anne exclaimed in fright.**

**"Lions and tigers and bears." Anne, the tin man, and the scarecrow all said.**

**"Oh my!" Anne exclaimed in fright.**

**"Lions and tigers and bears." Anne, the tin man, and the scarecrow all said.**

**"Oh my!" Anne exclaimed in fright.**

**Suddenly, the threesome was frightened by an animal roaring at them.**

**"Look." the scarecrow said.**

**They all saw a lion approaching them and they all ran and hid as the lion roared again.**

**"Stanley?" Anne asked, looking at the lion's front right paw.**

**"Put'em up," the lion said, showing bravery. "put'em up, which one of you first? I'll fight you both together if you want, I'll fight you with one paw tied behind my back! I'll fight you standing on one foot, I'll fight you with my eyes closed, oh! Pulling an ax on me eh?"**

**The tin man slowly backed away.**

**"Sneaking up on me, why..." the lion began.**

**Back in the suite, Tom was putting more blankets over Anne.**

**"There you go, Firecracker," Tom said. "I hope this will keep you warm."**

**Suzie came into her bedroom.**

**"Any luck keeping Anne warm, Tom?" Suzie asked.**

**"Here's hoping, Suzie," Tom answered. "has Alan come home from his walk yet?"**

**"No, Tom," Suzie answered. "he hasn't."**

**While on his walk, Alan saw some lilies growing wild, so he had decided to pick some for Anne.**

**Back in Oz, the threesome was still up against the lion.**

**"Here here," the tin man said to the lion. "go away and let us alone."**

**"Oh, scared huh? Afraid huh?" the lion askd the tin man.**

**Anne was watching from her hiding spot behind a tree.**

**"How long can you stay fresh in that can? Come on, get up and fight, you shivering junkyard."**

**The tin man was still quivering &amp; quaking as the lion continued.**

**"Put your hands up, you lopsided bag of hay." the lion said to the scarecrow.**

**"Now that's getting personal, Lion." the scarecrow said.**

**"Yes," the tin man said, feeling afraid. "get up and teach him a lesson."**

**"Well," the scarecrow asked the tin man. "what's wrong with you teaching him?"**

**"Well well well I hardly know him." the tin man said to the scarecrow.**

**Chu Chu began barking wildly at the lion.**

**"I'll get you anyway, peewee." the lion said to Chu Chu.**

**Anne could see the lion chasing after Chu Chu and she immediately came out of hiding.**

**The lion growled and chased after Anne.**

**Anne then struck the lion hard in his face.**

**"Shame on you." Anne scolded the lion harshly.**

**"What did you do that for? I didn't bite him." the lion protested to Anne.**

**"No, but you tried to," Anne said to the lion angrily. "it's bad enough picking on a straw man but when you go around picking on poor little dogs..."**

**"Well, you didn't have to go and hit me did you? Is my nose bleeding?" the lion asked Anne nervously.**

**"Well, of course not." Anne answered the lion.**

**The poor lion was sobbing up a storm.**

**Back in New Orleans, Alan came into the suite with his big bouquet of lilies for Anne in his hands.**

**Flip walked up to Alan, "Do you have enough flowers?" he joked.**

**Alan rolled his eyes, "Don't pretend you wouldn't do the same for Nancy if she was the one so sick as well as hurt, Flip!" he shouted, racing off to find a vase to put Anne's lily bouquet in.**

**Flip shrugged his shoulders, "He's as loony as a cuckoo bird." he said.**

**Mimi shot Flip a sharp look.**

**"Don't be such a meany, Flip," Mimi scolded. "Alan is only trying to be a good brother!"**

**Henry came up to Mimi &amp; Flip, "Are you two ready for lunch?" he asked them.**

**"Yes we are." Mimi answered Henry.**

**"What's for lunch?" Flip asked.**

**"Rosa has made Chicken salad sandwiches, tomato soup, thick-cut fries, and orangeade." Henry answered Flip.**

**Flip &amp; Mimi followed Henry into the kitchen for lunch.**

**Back in Oz, Anne was talking to the lion.**

**"My goodness," Anne said to the lion as the scarecrow bandaged the lion's injuries. "what a fuss you're making, well, naturally, when you go around picking on things weaker than you are... why, you're nothing but a great big coward!"**

**"You're right," the lion said to Anne, sobbing bitterly. "I am a coward, I haven't any courage at all, I even scare myself."**

**"Aww," Anne said to the lion. "you poor thing."**

**"Look at the circles under my eyes," the lion told Anne. "I haven't slept in weeks."**


	10. The Long Journey Continues

**The Long Journey Continues**

**"Why don't you try counting sheep?" the tin man asked the lion.**

**"That doesn't do any good," the lion sobbed. "I'm afraid of them."**

**"Oh." Anne said.**

**"That's too bad." the scarecrow said to the lion.**

**"Agreed." the tin man said to the lion.**

**The scarecrow tapped Anne on the shoulder, "Don't you think the Wizard could help him too?" he asked her.**

**"I don't see why not," Anne said to the scarecrow, then she turned to the lion and added. "why don't you come along with us? We're on our way to get him a heart."**

**Anne pointed to the tin man.**

**"And him a brain." the tin man added, pointing to the scarecrow.**

**"I'm sure he could give you some courage." Anne said to the lion.**

**"Well," the lion asked Anne. "wouldn't you feel degraded to be seen in the company of a cowardly lion?"**

**"No way." the tin man disagreed with the lion.**

**"I would." the lion said to the tin man.**

**"No, of course not." Anne disagreed with the lion.**

**"Gee, that's awfully nice of you," the lion said to Anne. "my life has been simply unbearable."**

**Back in the hotel suite, Stanley found Alan putting the vase of lilies in the girls' bedroom's sunny window as well as Tom wiping Anne's sweaty brow with a damp washcloth.**

**"Time for lunch you two." Stanley said to Tom &amp; Alan.**

**"Alright," Tom said putting the washcloth back into the bowl of icy cold water. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"**

**Stanley saw Alan opening his water canteen, "Alan, lunch is on the table." he said sternly.**

**"In a minute, Stanley, I have to give my lilies a good long drink." Alan said.**

**A few minutes later, Stanley &amp; Tom were sitting at the table with the rest of their family members.**

**"Where is Alan?" Henry asked curiously.**

**"Taking care of his weeds." Stanley commented.**

**"Stanley! Lilies are not weeds," Henry scolded. "they're flowers!"**

**"That's right, and, Alan has become an outstanding gardener," Suzie said to Stanley. "thanks to Henry."**

**Alan then arrived in the kitchen.**

**"Well, my lilies are all watered." Alan said, sitting in his usual spot.**

**Back in Oz, Anne and the others were still talking to the lion.**

**"Well, it's all right now," Anne said to the lion. "the wizard will fix everything."**

**"It's... it's been in me so long I just gotta tell you how I feel." the lion said to Anne.**

**Anne put Chu Chu down on the ground.**

**"Well," Anne said to the lion kindly. "come on."**

**Anne and her friends began walking slowly side by side as the lion began singing.**

**Lion: **_**Yeah it**_**'**_**s sad believe me Missy**_**;**

_**When you**_**'**_**re born a sissy**_**;**

_**Without the vim and verve**_**;**

_**But I could show my prowess**_**;**

_**Be a lion not a mowess**_**;**

_**If I only had the nerve**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**m afraid there**_**'**_**s no denyin**_**';**

_**I**_**'**_**m just a dandelion**_**;**

_**A fate I don**_**'**_**t desrve**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**d be brave as a blizzard**_**;**

**Tin Man: **_**I**_**'**_**d be gentle as a lizzard**_**;**

**Scarecrow: **_**I**_**'**_**d be clever as a gizzard**_**;**

**Anne: **_**If the wizard is a wizard**_**;**

_**Who will serve**_**;**

**Scarecrow: **_**Then I**_**'**_**m sure to get a brain**_**;**

**Tin Man: **_**A heart**_**;**

**Anne: **_**A home**_**;**

**Lion: **_**The nerve**_**;**

**Anne, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion: **_**Oh we**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**;**

_**We hear he is**_**;**

_**A wiz of a wiz**_**;**

_**If ever a wiz there was**_**;**

_**If ever**_**;**

_**Oh ever**_**;**

_**A wiz there was**_**;**

_**The Wizard of Oz is one because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because**_**;**

_**Because of the**_**;**

_**Wonderful things**_**;**

_**He does**_**;**

_**We**_**'**_**re off to see the wizard**_**;**

_**The wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**.**

**Back in the suite, the sun was setting behind a skyscraper as Suzie entered the living room from checking up on Anne.**

**Charlie &amp; Rosa went out for a while, so the ten children had the hotel suite all to themselves.**

**Suzie then smelled something cooking in the kitchen.**

**"What's for supper, Henry?" Suzie asked.**

**"Ask Stanley." Henry said to Suzie.**

**Suddenly, the smoke detecter went off as Stanley took the fried catfish and rice off the stove as well as the cornbread he was attempting to make to go with it out of the oven.**

**Like everything Stanley tried to cook, the fried catfish and rice with cornbread turned out burned to a crisp, all but the milk.**

**"Supper's on! Come and get it!" Stanley called to his eight siblings.**

**Henry, Suzie, Alan, Tom, Flip, Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter all ran into the kitchen.**

**Alan &amp; Suzie began turning green at the sight of the charred food.**

**The youngest four children pushed their plates back in unison.**

**"I think I just lost my appetite!" Alan exclaimed.**

**"Forever!" Suzie added, agreeing with Alan.**

**"I'm not eating that!" Nancy said.**

**"If even Nancy doesn't want to eat, you know it's bad!" Tom observed.**

**"What's wrong with you guys?" Stanley asked the eight siblings who sat at the table with him.**

**"Well, I'm glad Anne is delirious." Scooter remarked.**

**"Me too!" Mimi agreed.**

**Nancy just looked at Mimi &amp; Scooter with eyes full of curiosity.**

**"Why is that?" Flip asked Mimi &amp; Scooter just before Nancy could even speak.**

**"Because, Anne doesn't have to eat Stanley's terrible cooking!" both Mimi &amp; Scooter answered Flip in unified agreement.**

**"I miss Cheetah's cooking," Alan sighed, looking at his dinner plate. "especially when she used the veggies and herbs that Henry and I grow in our garden."**

**"Be a man, Alan," Scooter laughed. "gardening is for girls and women!"**

**"Scooter!" Mimi scolded harshly.**

**"I've made dinner for you loads of times, does that make me girly?" Henry asked Scooter out of irritation.**

**Scooter looked Henry right in the eye.**

**"No, Henry, it doesn't." Scooter answered.**

**Alan then remembered the year before and regretted what he had said to Anne.**

**"A woman racer," Alan had said to Anne. "forget it."**

**Suzie looked at the spaced out expression on Alan's face.**

**"Are you okay, Alan?" Suzie asked.**

**Alan was startled from his thoughts.**

**"Huh? What?" Alan answered Suzie, still feeling startled.**

**"Suzie just asked you if you were all right." Tom told Alan kindly.**

**"Of course, Suzie," Alan answered. "I'm okay."**

**A few hours later, Charlie &amp; Rosa came back home to find Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter sleeping on the sofa.**

**"Charlie," Rosa said. "we had better tuck Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter into their beds."**


	11. The Wicked Witch's Plan Part 1

** The Wicked Witch's Plan Part 1**

**"Yes, Rosa Darling, I had better." Charlie said.**

**Charlie took three out of his four youngest children to their beds one at a time.**

**Over in the girls' bedroom, Alan was pruning away any dead leaves from the lilies he picked for Anne, when it came to flowers, just like Henry taught him, Alan had picked the wild lilies by the roots, then transplanted them in the vase he found.**

**Tom found Alan tending for his gift to Anne.**

**"Alan, it is bedtime." Tom said kindly.**

**Alan finished pruning the last dead leaf from his lilies.**

**"I know, Tom, and I'm finished pruning my lilies," Alan said. "and I have one more extra special flower to say good night to."**

**"I know that you are talking about Anne," Tom said to Alan logically. "and I would like to say good night to her too."**

**Alan helped Anne up in so she was in a sitting position, "I won't be able to keep her up like this for long." he said to Tom.**

**Tom then and there hugged Anne firmly as well as gently, "Good night, Tinkerbell." he said to her.**

**"Thanks, Walking Dictionary." Anne said deliriously.**

**Now, it was Tom who held Anne up as Alan began to hug his sister, "Good night, Cheetah." he said to her gently.**

**"Thanks, Buddy." Anne said to Alan.**

**Charlie came into the girls' bedroom.**

**"It is time for bed, boys." Charlie said sternly.**

**"Yes, Pop." Alan &amp; Tom sighed, trudging into their bedroom.**

**Back in Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West saw Anne and her friends skipping through the forest through her crystal ball.**

**"Aha! So, you won't take warning eh? All the worse for you," the witch cackled. "I'll take care of you now instead of later."**

**The witch went to to a table which had an hourglass on it.**

**"When I gain those ruby sneakers," the witch said. "my power will be the greatest in Oz! And now, my beauties... something with poison in it, I think... with poison in it... but comforting to the eye... and freezing to the touch... white snow, white snow... white snow will put them to sleep! Sleep, now they'll sleep."**

**Anne and her three friends had slept in the forest, but neither Anne nor the tin man slept very well by the time the foursome got close to Emerald City.**

**Back in the hotel suite the next morning, Mimi went into her bedroom to grab her jacket, when she saw Alan putting some dry soil around Anne's lily bouquet.**

**"What's for breakfast, Mimi?" Alan asked, looking at Anne with the hope she would come out of her delirium.**

**"We are going out for breakfast, Alan, please do grab your jacket." Mimi said.**

**Alan then turn to go, but stopped dead in his tracks.**

**"Alan! Alan!" Alan heard Anne call.**

**Alan turned and walked over to his twin sister's side, knelt down, and gripped her hand gently.**

**"I'm staying right by Annie's side, Mimi." Alan said seriously.**

**Flip came into the girls' bedroom.**

**"Alan, hurry it up," Flip said hurriedly. "we are to be meeting the LeBeau brothers at the Bistro on Toulouse Street for breakfast!"**

**"I'm staying right by Annie's side, Flip." Alan said seriously.**

**"Gosh and golly, Alan," Flip said irritably. "you are so hopeless!"**

**Mimi grabbed Suzie's blue umbrella, "Would you like us to bring anything back for you, Alan?" she asked.**

**"Sure." Alan answered Mimi.**

**"What would you like us to bring back for you?" Mimi asked Alan.**

**"Bacon and eggs please." Alan requested.**

**"Bacon and eggs, you've got it!" Flip said to Alan.**

**Mimi &amp; Flip then left their suite at the Hyatt French Quarter Hotel to go to the the restaurant.**

**Back in Oz, Anne and her three friends got close to Emerald City.**

**"There's Emerald City, oh! We're almost there at last, at last, it's beautiful, isn't it? Just like I knew it would be." Anne said.**

**"Agreed, Anne." the lion said.**

**"He really must be a wonderful wizard to live in a city like that." Anne observed.**

**"Well, come on then," the lion said. "what are we waiting for?"**

**"Nothing," the scarecrow said. "let's hurry."**

**"Yes, let's run." Anne added.**

**Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion all began running to Emerald City as it suddenly began to snow and get chillier.**

**Back in the hotel suite, Alan was watering Anne's lily bouquet when Rosa came into the girls' bedroom.**

**"Alan," Rosa said. "we've returned with your breakfast."**

**Alan suddenly stopped watering his lilies for Anne.**

**"I'm coming, Rosa." Alan said.**

**Alan left the girls' bedroom to eat his breakfast.**

**While Alan was eating his bacon and eggs at the kitchen table, Charlie turned to Suzie.**

**"Suzie?" Charlie asked.**

**"Yes, Pop?" Suzie answered.**

**"It's your turn to check on your sister." Charlie said to Suzie sternly.**

**"But of course, Pop." Suzie said.**

**When Suzie entered her bedroom, she heard Anne say something in her delirium.**

**"There it is, guys," Suzie heard Anne saying deliriously. "there is Emerald City!"**

**"Emerald City? Anne," Suzie asked. "are you talking about Seattle Washington?"**

**"There it is, guys," Suzie heard Anne saying deliriously once more. "there is Emerald City!"**

**Tom came into the girls' bedroom.**

**"Aren't you forgetting something, Suzie?" Tom asked.**

**"I don't think so," Suzie said to Tom. "just what am I forgetting?"**

**"Alan says that Anne is delirious." Tom reminded Suzie.**

**"Oh yes," Suzie sighed. "that's right."**

**Suzie &amp; Tom went back into the kitchen.**

**"How is Anne?" Charlie asked Suzie with a hopeless sounding sigh.**

**"Delirious, Pop," Suzie answered. "same as ever."**

**Alan finished his final bite of his bacon and eggs.**

**Stanley then spoke up.**

**"Annie's gone off into Wonderland!" Stanley joked.**

**Stanley just then caused Henry to speak up.**

**"Stanley," Henry scolded. "now is not the time for jokes!"**

**"Wonderland nothing, Stanley," Alan disagreed. "just what should we do?"**

**"There is nothing we can do right now, Alan," Nancy said. "there is nothing we can do right now."**

**"Nancy! Don't be such a pessimist!" Suzie scolded sharply.**

**"So sorry, Suzie." Nancy sighed.**

**"That's okay, Nancy," Rosa said. "no harm done."**

**Alan started to fill up his water canteen again.**

**"Where are you going, Alan?" Charlie asked.**

**"I'm going to go for a walk," Alan answered his father. "I'll be back quite soon."**


	12. The Wicked Witch's Plan Part 2

**The Wicked Witch's Plan Part 2**

**"I hope you won't bring back any more lilies!" Flip laughed, teasing Alan.**

**Alan turned around and faced Flip.**

**"Very funny, Flip!" Alan shot back sarcastically.**

**Alan then went out the door for his walk.**

**Back in Oz, Anne and her three friends continued running through the snow.**

**"Come on," the scarecrow called out to Anne. "come on!"**

**"Hurry," the lion called. "hurry!"**

**They continued to run.**

**"Oh," the scarecrow shouted. "look! Oh, come on! Look at the scene of it!"**

**"It's wonderful," the lion shouted. "the Emerald City!"**

**But Anne was slowing down as she caught up to her three friends.**

**"Oh! Oh," Anne said, putting her right hand up to her forehead as if she was feeling dizzy. "What's happening? What is it? I can't run anymore, I'm so sleepy."**

**"Here, give us your hands," the scarecrow said to Anne. "and we'll pull you along."**

**"Oh no, please," Anne begged the scarecrow and the lion. "I have to rest for just a minute, Chu Chu... where's Chu Chu?"**

**Anne began to fall to the ground.**

**"Oh, you can't rest now," the scarecrow insisted to Anne. "we're nearly there."**

**Anne then fell to the ground.**

**The lion began to brush a teardrop away.**

**"Anne." the lion said with a sob in his voice.**

**"Don't cry," the scarecrow told the lion sternly. "you'll send yourself into a tailspin!"**

**"Coming to think of it," the tin man said. "forty winks wouldn't be bad."**

**The tin man began to fall into the snow fast asleep however, the scarecrow caught him.**

**"Don't you start it too, if you fall asleep, you'll rust again." the scarecrow said to the tin man.**

**"But..." the tin man began, yawning.**

**"No," the Scarecrow said. "we ought to try and carry Anne, I don't think I could, but we could try."**

**"Let's." the lion said.**

**"Yes." the scarecrow agreed.**

**Suddenly, the tin man really did fall to the ground fast asleep.**

**"Oh no! He's gone Rip Van Tin Man on us!" the lion said in a joking manner.**

**"Look at him," the scarecrow said to the lion. "this is terrible, here Lion, help me!"**

**"I sure can try." the lion said to the scarecrow.**

**The scarecrow tried to move Anne but he failed.**

**"This is terrible! I can't budge her an inch! This is a spell this is!" the scarecrow exclaimed.**

**"It's the Wicked Witch," the lion exclaimed. "What'll we do? Help! Help!"**

**"It's no use screaming at a time like this," the scarecrow told the lion. "nobody will hear you, Help! Help! Help! Help!"**

**Suddenly, the ghostly image of Guinevere began using her magic wand to break the snow spell and cause lilies to grow, thus awakening both Anne and the tin man.**

**"Lilies," the scarecrow shouted. "lilies are blossoming!"**

**"No they aren't." the lion said sadly.**

**The lilies began blossoming all around the foursome.**

**"Yes, they are! Maybe that'll help!" the scarecrow exclaimed.**

**"But it couldn't help." the lion said.**

**"But it does help," the scarecrow said to the lion. "Anne, you're waking up!"**

**"Oh," Anne said. "oh!"**

**"Oh," the tin man said. "oh! Something smells nice! It would warm my heart if I had one!"**

**"Look! His hat came off!" Anne exclaimed.**

**"Quick! Help me find my hat!" the scarecrow exclaimed.**

**Everyone began searching through the field of lilies until Anne found her scarecrow friend's hat.**

**"Here it is." Anne said.**

**Back in New Orleans, Alan began picking some more lilies for Anne while he was out on his walk, that is, until it started to rain lightly.**

**"Oh no," Alan shouted. "wham bam, I've got to jam before this rain becomes a downpour!"**

**Just as Alan got back to the Hyatt French Quarter Hotel, it had begun to rain harder.**

**Henry &amp; Stanley were playing a game of Go Fish in the living room.**

**"So," Stanley teased Alan. "you did collect more lilies for Anne!"**

**"Stanley!" Henry scolded in a whisper.**

**Alan shot Stanley a look of seriousness.**

**"Don't be viscious," Alan said to Stanley. "it's not like you wouldn't pick roses for our new cousin, Lovisa Hunter, the daughter of Rosa's brother, Gregory."**

**Alan raced into the girls' bedroom to place his new lilies in the vase.**

**Alan saw Nancy fluffing Anne's pillows while he took the dead lily bouquet out of the vase and replaced it.**

**Anne just sighed.**

**"Oh, Anne," Nancy sighed. "I wish you would just snap out of this!"**

**"I won't leave the oilcan behind!" Anne said deliriously.**

**"Oilcan," Nancy asked Alan, looking at him. "what oilcan?"**

**"Got me, Nancy." Alan answered, tossing the dead lilies out the window.**

**"I won't leave the oilcan behind!" Anne said deliriously once again.**

**Suzie entered her bedrooom to find Alan watering his new lily bouquet.**

**"Supper is ready, Alan." Suzie said.**

**"Great, I'm starving," Alan said to Suzie. "what are we having?"**

**"Chilli con carne with cornbread and ice cold cow's milk." Suzie answered Alan.**

**Alan sighed, "Your chilli con carne can't be better than Cheetah's." he said to Suzie.**

**Suzie put her left hand upon Alan's right shoulder.**

**"Who do you think taught her to make it?" Suzie asked Alan firmly.**

**"Henry taught Anne how to make it." Alan said to Suzie, laughing.**

**"Oh, oops," Suzie said. "you're right, Alan."**

**Alan then followed Suzie into the kitchen, though still feeling disconnected from Anne, he ate all of his supper.**

**"Wow, Alan," Rosa observed. "I never thought I would ever see you eat so much!"**

**Alan set his drinking cup down, "That was delicious! Thank you, Suzie!" he exclaimed.**

**"You're welcome, Alan." Suzie said gently.**

**Tom then saw Nancy staring at her own chilli con carne and cornbread, he noticed that she was looking a tad uninterested in her dinner.**

**"Wow, Nancy, you look as though Stanley fixed supper tonight," Tom said. "now, what's wrong?"**

**The nearly 10-year-old looked up at her older brother.**

**"I miss Anne!" Nancy answered Tom, now sobbing.**

**Tom held Nancy close to him, "Don't worry, Nancy, everything will work out all right in the end." he said.**

**"Are you sure?" Nancy asked Tom.**

**"Quite certain, Nancy," Tom answered. "Anne won't be manic forever."**

**Alan quickly stood up, his expression was focused and determined.**

**"What's wrong?" Charlie asked now feeling concerned.**

**"Annie needs me by her side," Alan explained to his father. "I know it, I can feel it!"**

**Alan raced off to the girls' bedroom.**

**"Alan," Tom shouted. "halt!"**


	13. The Wicked Witch's Plan Part 3

**The Wicked Witch's Plan Part 3**

**But now Alan was gone, he wished so bad to be right by Anne's side.**

_**Don**_**'**_**t worry Annie**_**, Alan thought. **_**I**_**'**_**m never giving up on you**_**.**

**Alan then and there ran into the girls' bedroom.**

**The window was opened as the rain continued to fall.**

**Anne then sneezed due to the chilly rainy weather that night.**

**"Don't leave my side!" Anne exclaimed deliriously.**

**Alan then shut the window, then he knelt down by Anne's side, "I would not dream of doing that, Cheetah Cub." he said to his younger twin sister comfortingly.**

**Back in Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West saw Anne and her companions through her crystal ball.**

**"Curses, curses," the Witch of the West shouted. "somebody always helps that girl, but shoes or no shoes, I'm still great enough to conquer her... and woe to those who try to stop me."**

**Back in the field of lilies, Anne was talking to her friends.**

**"Come on, let's get out of here, look! Emerald City is closer and prettier than ever!" Anne said.**

**An angelic choir began singing as Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion began walking straight to the Emerald City.**

**Angelic Choir: **_**You**_**'**_**re out of the woods**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**re out of the dark**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**re out of the night**_**;**

_**Step into the sun**_**;**

_**Step into the light**_**;**

_**Keep straight ahead**_**;**

_**For the most glorious place**_**;**

_**On the face of the earth**_**;**

_**Or the sky**_**;**

_**Hold onto your breath**_**;**

_**Hold onto your heart**_**;**

_**Hold onto your hope**_**;**

_**March up to the gate**_**;**

_**And bid it open**_**.**

**Now, the Wicked Witch of the West did not quite like what she was seeing, she had her broomstick in her hands.**

**"Ah, to the Emerald City as fast as lightning!" the witch exclaimed.**

**The Wicked Witch of the West then dashed off for the Emerald City.**

**Back with Anne and her comrades, the angelic choir continued to sing.**

**Angelic Choir: **_**You**_**'**_**re out of the woods**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**re out of the dark**_**;**

_**You**_**'**_**re out of the night**_**;**

_**Step into the sun**_**;**

_**Step into the light**_**;**

**Keep straight ahead;**

_**For the most glorious place**_**;**

_**On the face of the earth**_**;**

_**Or the sky**_**;**

_**Hold onto your breath**_**;**

_**Hold onto your heart**_**;**

_**Hold onto your hope**_**;**

_**March up to the gate**_**;**

_**And bid it**_**;**

_**Open**_**;**

_**Open**_**.**

**Anne quickly rang the bell and a man who was 20-years-old peeked out from behind it.**

**"Who rang that bell?" the man asked irritably.**

**"We did." Anne, the tin man, the scarecrow, and the lion all said in unison to the green clad guard.**

**"Read what?" the scarecrow asked the guard.**

**"The notice." the guard answered the scarecrow.**

**"What notice?" the foursome asked the guard.**

**"It's on the door," the guard answered the foursome irritably. "as plain as the nose on my face."**

**The guard placed a sign on the door.**

**"Bell out of order, please knock." Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion said in unison, reading the sign.**

**Anne then knocked on the door.**

**The guard then poked his head out the door.**

**"Well, that's more like it, now, state your business." the guard said to the foursome.**

**"We want to see the wizard." the foursome said, forcing bravery.**

**"The wizard? But nobody can see the great Oz." the guard said.**

**"What do you mean?" the scarecrow asked the guard.**

**"Nobody's even seen the great Oz," the guard said. "even I've never seen him."**

**Anne looked at the guard, "Well then, how do you know there is one?"**

**"Because... he's um... Oh! You're wasting my time!" the guard yelled angrily.**

**Anne gave the guard a look of innocence, the same kind of look that she gave Henry when she was younger.**

**"Oh please... please, sir, I've got to see the wizard," Anne said, using her innocence on the guard. "the Good Witch of the North sent me."**

**"Prove it." the guard said to Anne.**

**"She's wearing the ruby sneakers she gave her." the scarecrow told the guard.**

**The guard saw the sneakers upon Anne's feet.**

**"Oh, so she is," the guard said. "well, bust my buttons! Why didn't you say that in the first place? That's a horse of a different color, come on in."**

**Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion entered the Emerald City.**

**Back in the hotel suite, Alan saw Suzie entering the bedroom she shared with Anne, Nancy, and Mimi in her lavender nightgown.**

**"So, Alan," Suzie asked in a concerned manner. "how is our trooper doing?"**

**"I must see the wizard," Anne shouted within her delirium. "really, I must."**

**"Wizard? What wizard?" Suzie asked, feeling baffled.**

**"Poor poor Annie," Alan sighed sadly. "she is still delirious!"**

**Now, thunder began to crash and lightning began to flash, just as it had on the night that Anne got struck on the head by the tree branch.**

**"Anne's deliriousness is nothing to worry about now," Suzie said to Alan in a comforting manner. "for it is bedtime now."**

**Thunder crashed and lightning flashed worse than ever.**

**"But, who can sleep with all that noise going on?" Alan asked, beginning to sob uncontrollably.**

**Suzie then wiped Alan's damp cheeks from where he had been crying.**

**"It seems to me that it's not just raining outside." Suzie said to Alan.**

**Alan was confused, "What do you mean?" he asked Suzie.**

**"With all of that crying you're doing, Prince of Mellow Land," Suzie said to Alan. "it seems that it is raining inside as well."**

**Alan suddenly began sobbing all over again, he felt as if his heart was broken.**

**Alan then clung onto Anne who was still lying in the bottom bunk nearest the window.**

**"Maybe I have been crying too much, but I'm worried," Alan shouted at Suzie, feeling hurt emotionally. "you'd be crying just as much if Tom's cold had turned into something worse!"**

**Suzie harshly shook Alan's shoulders, "Get a grip!" she shouted at the sobbing 16-year-old.**

**"Suzie," Alan shouted. "have a heart!"**

**Flip came into the girls' bedroom with Mimi by his side.**

**"Suzie?" Flip and Mimi asked in unison.**

**"Yes, Flip and Mimi," Suzie answered kindly. "what is it?"**


	14. A Plan of Attack

**A Plan of Attack**

**"Pop would like to see you." Flip told Suzie.**

**"Alone," Mimi told Suzie. "in his &amp; Rosa's bedroom."**

**Suzie left the girls' bedroom as Alan knelt by Anne's side.**

**"Annie," Alan asked. "can you hear me?"**

**Back with Suzie, she met with her father.**

**"Pop," Suzie asked. "you wanted to see me?"**

**"Yes, Suzie," Charlie answered. "I did."**

**"What would you like to see me about?" Suzie asked Charlie.**

**"I would like you to take Alan to the hotel swimming pool tomorrow, maybe a good swim will cheer him."**

**"But, Pop," Suzie said. "Alan's allegiance is to Anne, he won't leave her side that easily."**

**"Then, you will have to coax him." Charlie said to Suzie.**

**Back in Oz, Anne and her three comrades were already in Emerald City.**

**"Cabby, cabby," another man in green called out, sitting up front in a horse-drawn carriage. "just what you're looking for, take you anyplace in the city we do."**

**"Would you take us to see the wizard?" Anne asked the guard.**

**"The Wizard? The wizard? I can," the man answered Anne. "yes, of course, but first I'll take you to a little place where you can tidy up a bit, what?"**

**"Oh," Anne said. "thank you so much, we've been gone such a long time and we feel so... what kind of horse is that? I've never seen a horse like that before."**

**"No, and that will never be again, I fancy," the cabby said. "there's only one of him, and he's it, he's the horse of a different color you've heard tell about."**

**Everyone began to laugh, then they began singing.**

**Anne, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion: **_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ho ho ho**_**;**

_**And a couple of tra**_**-**_**la**_**-**_**las**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s how we laugh**_**;**

_**The day away**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

_**Bzz bzz bzz**_**;**

_**Chirp chirp chirp**_**;**

_**And a couple of la**_**-**_**di**_**-**_**das**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s how the crickets**_**;**

_**Crick all day**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

_**We get up at twelve**_**;**

_**And start to work at one**_**;**

_**Take an hour for lunch**_**;**

_**And then at two we**_**'**_**re done**_**;**

_**Jolly good fun**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ho ho ho**_**;**

_**And a couple of tra**_**-**_**la**_**-**_**las**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s how we laugh**_**;**

_**The day away**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ho ho ho**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha ha ha**_**;**

_**With a ho ho ho**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s how we laugh**_**;**

_**The day away**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

**Anne and her comrades entered a place to clean up as the singing continued as three men worked on the scarecrow.**

**Man Number 1: **_**Pat pat here**_**;**

**Man Number 2: **_**Pat pat there**_**;**

**Man Number 3: **_**And a couple of brand new straws**_**;**

**Men: **_**That**_**'**_**s how we keep you young and fair**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

**Two more men were working on the tin man.**

**Man Number 1: **_**Rub rub here**_**;**

**Man Number 2: **_**Rub rub there**_**;**

_**Whether you**_**'**_**re tin or brass**_**;**

**Men: **_**That**_**'**_**s how we keep you in repair**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

**Three women were grooming Anne who held Chu Chu in her arms.**

**Woman Number 1: **_**We can paint your finger nails both red and green**_**;**

**Anne: **_**Can you even dye my eyes to match my jeans**_**;**

**Woman 1: **_**Uh**_**-**_**huh**_**;**

**Anne: **_**Jolly old scene**_**;**

**Five women were giving the lion a good trim.**

**Women: **_**Clip clip here**_**;**

_**Clip clip there**_**;**

_**We give the roughest claws**_**;**

**Lion: **_**That certain air of savoir faire**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

**Anne, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion: **_**Ho ho ho**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha ha**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s how we laugh**_**;**

_**The day away**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**;**

_**That**_**'**_**s how we laugh**_**;**

_**The day away**_**;**

_**With a ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**Ha ha ha**_**;**

_**In the merry old Land of Oz**_**.**

**Suddenly, Anne and her friends heard the sound of someone laughing.**

**Everyone in the Emerald City gasped in fright.**

**The Wicked Witch of the West descended down to the Emerald City.**

**The witch was also writing something in the sky.**

**"Who's her? Who's her?" the lion asked.**

**"It's the witch," Anne shouted out in fright. "she's followed us here!"**

**"Surrender, Anne." the lion said, reading the words in the sky.**

**Anne just screamed in fright.**

**"Who's Anne?" a woman asked.**

**Back in New Orleans, it was still raining heavily the next morning, so that made it really hard for Suzie to take Alan out to the swimming pool.**

**Alan was in the living room, tinkering with his new invention, when Suzie entered the living room with the family's Checkers game in her hands.**

**"Alan, stop all this moping around," Suzie said sternly. "it is time to play a good game of Checkers."**

**Suzie set up the game while Alan went into the kitchen for a glass of water.**

**Alan came back into the living room with his glass of water held in hand.**

**"I'm as ready to play as I'll ever be." Alan said to Suzie.**

**A few hours later after Suzie &amp; Alan had finally finished their fiftieth game of Checkers, Alan began to feel sick, he had his left hand on his stomach and his right hand held over his mouth.**

**"Are you all right, Alan?" Suzie asked worriedly.**

**"Would you excuse me, Suzie?" Alan asked.**

**On her way out of the bedroom she shared with Charlie, Rosa saw Alan vomiting into the toilet.**

**"Are you all right, Alan?" Rosa asked worriedly.**

**"I'm fine, Rosa," Alan answered. "just a touch queasy."**

**"I'll go fix breakfast." Rosa said to Alan, heading for the kitchen.**

**"Oh my!" Alan said, retreating into the bathroom again.**

**While everyone had cereal with milk on it, Alan had dry toast and ginger ale to settle his stomach.**

**When Alan stood up, he felt a bit dizzy and fell to the floor.**

**"Alan!" Suzie &amp; Nancy shouted in horrified unison.**

**Alan tried to stand up again.**

**"Oh my gosh," Alan said. "the room is spinning! That's not cool!"**


	15. If I Were King Of The Forest

**If I Were King Of The Forest**

**"Are you okay?" Mimi asked Alan.**

**Alan got off the kitchen floor and brushed himself off, "I'm okay, Mimi." he said kindly.**

**"Are you sure that you're okay?" Scooter &amp; Tom asked Alan in unison.**

**Alan looked as though he was about to lose his cool.**

**"Look, I **_**need**_** to check up on Annie!" Alan answered Tom &amp; Scooter calmly.**

**Alan walked to the girls' bedroom.**

**Alan heard Anne sighing serenely, a teardrop rolling down his right cheek.**

**"Alan," Anne called out deliriously. "Alan!"**

**"Don't worry, Annie," Alan said gently. "I am right by your side."**

**Back in Oz, another woman gasped in fright, "The wizard will explain it." she said.**

**"To the wizard." a man said.**

**"To the wizard." another man said.**

**"Oh dear," Anne shouted. "whatever shall we do?"**

**"Well we'd better hurry," the scarecrow said. "if we're going to see the wizard."**

**Anne, the city's people, the tin man, the lion, and the scarecrow all raced to where the Wizard of Oz lived.**

**"Here here," the guard said. "everything is all right, stop that now, just carry... it's all right, everything is all right... the great and powerful Oz has got matters well in hand... I hope, and so, you can all go home and there's nothing to worry about, get out of here now, go on, go on home and... go home."**

**Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion stepped forward.**

**"If you please, sir," Anne said to the guard. "we want to see the wizard right away, all four of us."**

**"Orders are," the guard said to Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion. "nobody can see the great Oz, not nobody not no how."**

**"Oh but, but please sir," Anne said. "it's very important."**

**"And I got a permanent just for the occasion." the lion said to the guard.**

**"NOT NOBODY" the guard shouted furiously. "NOT NO HOW!"**

**"But she's Anne." the scarecrow said.**

**The guard looked at Anne.**

**"The witch's Anne? Well, **_**that**_** makes a difference, just uh, wait here and I'll announce you at once."**

**The guard then went inside the building.**

**"Did you hear that," the scarecrow asked. "he'll announce us at once, I've as good as got my brain."**

**"I can fairly hear my heart beating." the tin man said.**

**"I'll be home in time to cook my famous chilli con carne for supper." Anne said.**

**"In another hour," the lion said. "I'll be King of the Forest, long live the king."**

**Back in New Orleans, Henry entered the bedroom he shared with his brothers to find Alan reading one of Anne's favorite books, Charlotte's Web sitting on the top bunk of the middle set of bunk beds where Tom would be sleeping that night.**

**"What's going on, Alan?" Henry asked.**

**"Just reading one of Annie's favorite books, Henry." Alan answered.**

**Henry looked at the book that his younger brother held in his hands.**

**"Charlotte's Web by E. B. White? Alan," Henry asked. "Anne hasn't read **_**that**_** book since she was 7-years-old."**

**Alan looked up from the book that he was reading.**

**"But, Henry," Alan protested. "I know that Anne has outgrown and moved on from this book, but having Charlotte's Web with me reminds me of how much she loved it."**

**"I see." Henry said to Alan.**

**Back in Oz, the lion began to sing.**

**Lion: **_**If I were King of the Forest**_**;**

_**Not queen**_**;**

_**Not duke**_**;**

_**Not prince**_**;**

_**My regal robes of the forest**_**;**

_**Would be satin**_**;**

_**Not cotton**_**;**

_**Not chintz**_**;**

_**I**_**'**_**d command each thing**_**;**

_**Be it fish or fowl**_**;**

_**With a woof**_**;**

_**And a woof**_**;**

_**And a royal growl**_**;**

_**Woof**_**;**

_**As I**_**'**_**d click my heel**_**;**

_**All the trees would kneel**_**;**

_**And the mountains would bow**_**;**

_**And the bulls kowtow**_**;**

_**And the sparrow would take take wing**_**;**

_**If I**_**;**

_**If I were king**_**;**

_**Each rabbit would show respect to me**_**;**

_**The chipmunks genuflect to me**_**;**

_**Though my tail would lash**_**;**

_**I would show compash**_**;**

_**For every underling**_**;**

_**If I**_**;**

_**If I were king**_**;**

_**Just king**_**;**

**The scarecrow and the tin man rolled a green and gold carpet out for the lion to walk on.**

**Then, Anne assisted the scarecrow and the tin man with putting a green cape on the lion, and then, they helped their friend up the steps on as the song continued.**

**Lion: **_**Monarch of all I survey**_**;**

_**Monarch**_**;**

_**Of all I survey**_**.**

**Now Anne had a question for the lion.**

**"Your majesty, if you were king," Anne asked the lion. "you wouldn't be afraid of anything?"**

**"Not nobody," the lion answered Anne. "not no how."**

**"Not even a rhinoceros?" the tin man asked the lion.**

**"Imposserous." the lion answered the tin man.**

**"How about a hippopotamus?" Anne asked the lion.**

**"Why, I'd trash him from top to bottomus." the lion answered Anne.**

**"Supposing you met an elephant?" Anne asked the lion curiously.**

**"I'd wrap him up in cellophant." the lion answered Anne.**

**"What if it were a brontosaurus?" the scarecrow asked the lion.**

**"I'd show him who was King of the Forest." the lion answered the scarecrow.**

**"How?" Anne, the scarecrow, and the tin man asked the lion.**

**"How? Courage, what makes a king out of a slave? Courage, what makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage, what makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage, what makes the Sphinx the Seventh Wonder? Courage, what makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage, what makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the 'ape' in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?" the lion asked Anne, the scarecrow, and the tin man.**

**"Courage." the scarecrow and the tin man answered the lion in unison.**

**"You could say that again." the lion said to the tin man and scarecrow.**

**The lion was now frightened out of his wits by the guard.**

**"The wizard says 'Go away'." the guard said to Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion.**


	16. There's No Place Like Home

**There's No Place Like Home**

**"Go away?" Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion all asked in astonished unison.**

**Anne and her comrades couldn't believe what they now heard.**

**"Looks like we came a long way for nothing." the scarecrow said.**

**Anne started to cry, "And I was so happy, I thought I was on my way home." she said.**

**The tin man handed a hankerchief to Anne as the scarecrow put his hand on her right shoulder.**

**"Aww, Don't cry, Annie," the tin man said gently. "we're gonna get you to the wizard."**

**"We certainly are." the scarecrow said to Anne just as gently in order to calm her down.**

**The guard came out of the building where the wizard lived to hear Anne's pathetic sobbing.**

**"Rosa was so good to me," Anne said to her friends. "and I never appreciated it... running away and hurting her feelings, Tom tried to bring me back to our hotel suite, and I was too foolish to listen to him, I'll never forgive myself, never, never, never."**

**The guard was also sobbing up a thunderstorm.**

**"Please, don't cry anymore," the guard said to Anne. "I'll get you into the wizard somehow, come on, I had someone as wonderful as your Rosa in my life myself once."**

**The sobbing guard then opened the doors to the wizard's palace.**

**Anne, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion went on in.**

**"Wait a minute fellas," the lion said. "I was just thinking, I really don't want to see the wizard this much, I'd better wait for you outside."**

**The lion turned to go but the scarecrow grabbed him by the neck.**

**"Oh," the scarecrow asked the lion. "what's the matter?"**

**"He's just scared again." the tin man said.**

**"Oh, don't you know the wizard's gonna give you some courage?" Anne asked the lion.**

**"I'd be too scared to ask him for it." the lion answered Anne.**

**"Well, then," Anne said to the lion. "we'll ask him for you."**

**The lion was still holding onto his tail.**

**"I'd sooner wait outside." the lion said to Anne, still afraid.**

**The lion quickly turned to go but the scarecrow stopped him.**

**"Why, why?" Anne asked the lion.**

**"Because, I'm still scared." the lion answered Anne.**

**The lion yelped in pain.**

**"What happened?" the scarecrow asked hid cowardly friend.**

**"Somebody pulled my tail." the lion answered the scarecrow.**

**The scarecrow pointed to the lion.**

**"You did it yourself." the scarecrow told the lion irritably.**

**"I... " the lion began.**

**"Here," the scarecrow said to the lion, taking his tail out of his front paws. "come on."**

**The foursome stepped forward as two doors opened.**

**"Come forward!" the voice commanded.**

**The lion began shaking like a leaf, "Tell me when it's over." he said.**

**The foursome then continued to walk into the room where the wizard was.**

**"Look at that," the scarecrow said. "look at that."**

**The lion was still crying, "I want to go home." he sobbed bitterly.**

**The machine then began shooting smoke.**

**"I am Oz... the great and powerful, who are you?" the wizard asked the foursome.**

**Anne stepped forward.**

**"If you please," Anne said to the wizard. "I am Anne, the small and meek, we've come to ask..."**

**"Silence!" the wizard shouted.**

**Anne ran back to her friends.**

**"Oh," Anne called out. "oh! Jiminy Cricket!"**

**"The great and powerful Oz knows why you have come," the wizard said. "step forward, Tin Man."**

**The tin man stepped forward.**

**"Yes?" the tin man asked the wizard, timidly.**

**"You dare to come to me for a heart, do you? You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk." Oz said.**

**"Whoa! Yes," the tin man said to the wizard. "yes, sir, yes, your honor, you see a while back, we were walking down the yellow-brick road, and..."**

**"Quiet!" the wizard bellowed.**

**"Yikes!" the tin man screamed.**

**"And you," the wizard bellowed. "Scarecrow... have the effrontery to ask for a brain... you billowing bale of bovine fodder!"**

**"Yes your honor, I mean your excellency," the scarecrow said. "I mean your wizardry."**

**"Enough! And you, Lion." the wizard bellowed.**

**The lion was pushed forward by Anne.**

**"Well?" the wizard asked.**

**The poor lion was still quaking until he fainted on the floor due to fear.**

**"Oh! You ought to be ashamed of yourself... Frightening him like that when he came to you for help!" Anne said to the wizard.**

**"Silence, missy!" the wizard snapped at Anne fiercely.**

**"But..." Anne began.**

**But the wizard interrupted Anne.**

**"The beneficent Oz has every intention of granting your requests." Oz said.**

**The lion recovered from his fainting spell.**

**"What's that? What'd he say? Huh? What'd he say?" the lion asked.**

**"But first," Oz said to the foursome. "you must prove yourselves worthy by performing a very small task."**

**"We will do the task for you, Mr. Wizard," Anne said. "whatever it is, we will do it."**

**"Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the west." Oz said to the foursome.**

**The foursome was cowering.**

**"But if we do that," the tin man said, still quaking in his armor. "we'll have to kill her to get it."**

**"Bring me her broomstick," Oz demanded. "and I'll grant your requests, now, go."**

**The lion was hesitant.**

**"But," the lion asked the wizard. "what if she kills us first?"**

**"I said go!" the wizard order.**

**The lion then fled the room and dove out of sight.**

**In a scary forest, the witch's pet raven squawked as Anne and her friends walked to the witch's castle.**

**"'I'd turn back if I were you'." the lion said, reading one of the signs.**

**The lion turned to go but he was stopped by the scarecrow.**

**The lion forced bravery by growling as a creepy owl screeched.**

**Anne and her friends turned when the lon turned to go.**

**But, the lion was stopped by both the tin man and the scarecrow this time.**

**"I believe there're spooks around here." the scarecrow said.**

**The tin man didn't believe the scarecrow.**

**"That's ridiculous, spooks," the tin man said to the scarecrow. "that's silly."**

**"Don't you believe in spooks?" the lion stuttered nervously.**

**"No, why... oh! Oh!" the tin man shouted.**

**The tin man was being lifted into the air by his shoulders.**

**"Oh! Oh, Jiminy Crickets!" Anne called out in fright.**

**The tin man then landed back down on the ground, dropping his ax.**

**Anne and the scarecrow ran over to the tin man.**

**"Are you all right?" the scarecrow asked the tin man.**

**Anne helped the tin man up off the ground.**

**"I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do." the lion said.**

**The witch was watching Anne and her friends through her crystal ball.**

**The Wicked Witch of the West cackled, "You'll believe in more than that before I'm finished with you." she said to the lion through her crystal ball.**

**The witch raced to one of her flying monkeys, "Take your army to the Haunted Forest and bring back that girl and her dog, do what you like with the others, but I want her alive and unharmed, they'll give you no trouble, I promise you that, I've sent a little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them, take special care of those ruby sneakers... I want those most of all, now fly! Fly! Bring me that girl and her sneakers!" she ordered.**

**The monkeys took to the skies.**

**"Fly!" the witch commanded.**

**Back in the Haunted Forest, Anne and her friends saw the witch's flying monkey army heading their way.**

**They all turned and fled as one of the flying monkeys was on their tail.**

**Anne continued running from the flying monkey with Chu Chu at her side.**

**"Help! Help!" Anne shouted.**

**More monkeys were after the scarecrow, tin man, and the lion.**

**"Go away now." the tin man shouted at the monkeys, swinging his ax at them.**

**"Help! Help!" the scarecrow shouted.**

**More flying monkeys were after Anne.**

**"Chu Chu! Help, Chu Chu!" Anne shouted.**

**Chu Chu stopped running and barked as Anne was being taken off by one of the witch's flying monkeys.**

**Another flying monkey grabbed Chu Chu and took off to the the witch's castle.**

**"Help! Help! Help!" the scarecrow shouted.**

**The tin man and the lion raced over to the scarecrow's location.**

**"Well," the tin man asked the scarecrow. "what happened to you?"**

**"They tore my legs off and they threw them over there," the scarecrow answered the tin man, full of fright. "then they took my chest out, and they threw it over there, and..."**

**The tin man gave the scarecrow a look of irritation.**

**"Well, that's you all over." the tin man said to the scarecrow.**

**"They sure knocked the stuffings out of you, didn't they?" the lion said to the scarecrow said in a joking manner.**

**"Don't stand there," the scarecrow commanded. "put me together! We've got to find Anne!"**

**"Now let's see..." the tin man said.**

**Back at the witch's castle a few hours later, the witch was petting Chu Chu.**

**"What a nice little dog." the witch said to her monkey minion, placing Chu Chu into a small basket.**

**"And you, my dear," the witch said to Anne. "what an unexpected pleasure, it's so kind of you to visit me in my lonliness."**

**Anne saw the basket with Chu Chu in it being taken away.**

**"What are you going to do with my dog? Give him back to me." Anne demanded the Wicked Witch of the West in terror.**

**"All in good time, my little pretty," the witch said to Anne. "all in good time."**

**"Oh please," Anne said to the witch. "give me back my dog."**

**"Certainly... certainly... when you give me those sneakers." the witch said to Anne.**

**Anne then looked at her feet, then, looked up at the wicked witch.**

**"But," Anne protested to the witch. "the Good Witch of the North told me not to."**

**"Very well." the witch said to Anne.**

**The wicked witch then turned to her underlings.**

**"Throw that basket into the river and drown him." the witch said to her underlings.**

**"No! No! Here," Anne shouted. "you can have your old sneakers but give me back Chu Chu."**

**The witch turned to Anne, "That's a good little girl, I knew you'd see reason." she said.**

**The Wicked Witch of the West tried to take the ruby sneakers from Anne's feet, but the sneakers' laces shocked the witch's hands.**

**"Ow! Oh!" the witch screamed out in pain.**

**"I'm sorry, I didn't do it," Anne said to the Wicked Witch of the West. "can I still have my dog?"**

**"No! Fool that I am," the witch yelled. "I should have remembered... those sneakers will never come off... as long as you're alive."**

**Anne was now looking worried.**

**"But that's not what's worrying me, it's how to do it," the witch continued. "these things must be done delicately... or you'll hurt the spell."**

**Chu Chu then got out of the witch's basket.**

**"Run, Chu Chu! Run!" Anne shouted out.**

**"Catch him, you fool!" the witch commanded.**

**Chu Chu ran faster and faster out of the room.**

**"Run, Chu Chu! Run!" Anne shouted out again.**

**The witch's minions began throwing things at Chu Chu who continued running.**

**"Run, Chu Chu! Run!" Anne shouted out again.**

**"Oh no!" the witch yelled.**

**When Chu Chu was out of sight, Anne was totally relieved.**

**"He got away," Anne sobbed happily. "he got away!"**

**"Oh! Which is more than you will," the witch said to Anne. "drat you and your dog, you've been more trouble to me than you're worth, one way and another... but it'll soon be over now."**

**The witch then walked over to her hourglass filled with red sand and picked it up.**

**"Do you see that? That's how much longer you've got to be alive," the witch said to Anne, turning the hourglass over. "and it isn't long, my pretty, it isn't long... I can't wait forever to get those shoes."**

**The witch then left the room, leaving a terrified Anne all alone.**

**The sand was running through the hourglass quicker and quicker.**

**Anne began to sob uncontrollably.**

**"I'm frightened," Anne sobbed. "I'm frightened, Rosa, I'm frightened!"**

**Rosa then appeared on the witch's crystal ball.**

**"Anne? Anne, where are you? It's me, Rosa, we're trying to reach you, where are you?" Rosa asked.**

**"I'm here in Oz, Rosa," Anne answered. "I'm locked up in the witch's castle... and I'm trying to get home to you, Rosa, oh Rosa! Don't go away, I'm frightened! Come back!"**

**Anne then gasped as the witch's face appeared on the crystal ball.**

**"Rosa, come back," the witch said mimicking Anne. "I'll give you Rosa, my pretty."**

**The witch began to laugh as Anne sobbed all the harder.**

**"It was an illusion," Anne said, sobbing bitterly. "I might have known!"**

**The sand continued running through the hourglass.**

**Meanwhile, Chu Chu went down the mountain to fetch the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion.**

**Chu Chu found the tin man and the lion filling the scarecrow up with hay and barked urgently.**

**"Look! There's Chu Chu," the tin man shouted. "where'd he come from?"**

**"Why, don't you see," the scarecrow asked the tin man and lion. "he's come to take us to Anne."**

**The scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion all got up off the ground and ran after Chu Chu who barked urgently.**

**"Come on, fellas." the scarecrow said.**

**A few hours later, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion were making it to the witch's castle to rescue Anne.**

**The threesome followed Chu Chu up the steep mountain with the tin man, lion, and scarecrow falling down.**

**But the threesome got to their feet again as they continued to climb, following Chu Chu.**

**"I hope my strength holds out." the lion said.**

**"I hope your tail holds out." the tin man said.**

**The threesome climbed up onto some rocks and peeked over the side.**

**"What's that?" the lion asked the tin man and the scarecrow.**

**"That's the castle of the wicked witch, Anne's in that awful place?" the scarecrow answered the lion in a whisper.**

**"Oh," the tin man sobbed. "I hate to think of her in there, we've got to get her out."**

**"Can the waterworks will you," the scarecrow told tin man firmly. "we haven't got the oilcan with us... and you've been squeaking enough as it is."**

**"Who's them?" the lion asked in a whisper.**

**The threesome saw an army of the witch's guards standing outside her castle.**

**"I've got a plan how to get in there." the scarecrow said.**

**"Fine," the lion said to the tin man. "he's got a plan."**

**"And you're going to lead us." the scarecrow whispered to the lion.**

**"Yeah," the lion said. "me?"**

**"Yes, you." the scarecrow said to the lion.**

**"I... I gotta get her out of there?" the lion asked the scarecrow.**

**"That's right." the tin man said to the the lion.**

**The lion was still very nervous, but he soon forgot all about his nerves.**

**"All right, I'll go in there for Anne," the lion said. "wicked witch or no wicked witch... guards or no guards, I'll tear them apart!"**

**The lion then growled.**

**"I may not come out alive, but I'm going in there," the lion said. "there's only one thing I want you to do."**

**"What's that?" the scarecrow and the tin man asked the lion.**

**"Talk me out of it." the lion answered the tin man and the scarecrow, turning to go.**

**"No you don't." the scarecrow said to the lion.**

**"Oh no." the tin man said to the lion.**

**The scarecrow and the tin man made the lion turn around.**

**"No, now wait a minute," the lion said. "no."**

**Back inside the castle, the red sand continued running through the hourglass.**

**Back with Chu Chu and the threesome, they were about to put the scarecrow's plan into operation.**

**Chu Chu barked as the scarecrow shushed the little dog.**

**The lion began to sob as the scarecrow and the tin man began shushing him too.**

**But they were all caught by the guards soon enough.**

**"Look out." the scarecrow shouted.**

**"Let me go." the tin man agreed.**

**The threesome then emerged from their battle with the guards in disguise as guards.**

**"Oh," the scarecrow said. "I've got another idea."**

**"Do you think it'll be polite... dropping in like this?" the lion asked his comrades curiously.**

**"Come on." the tin man whispered.**

**The threesome sneaked into the castle to find Anne.**

**The threesome then separated themselves from the other guards.**

**"Where do we go now?" the tin man asked the lion.**

**"Yeah." the lion said.**

**Chu Chu then barked and ran up the stone steps.**

**"There." the scarecrow said.**

**The scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion quickly followed Chu Chu up the stone steps to the room where Anne was kept.**

**Chu Chu barked again.**

**"Wait, we'd better make sure," the scarecrow whispered. "Anne, are you in there?"**

**Anne heard the sound of the scarecrow's voice and ran to the door.**

**"Yes," Anne answered the scarecrow. "it's me! She's locked me in!"**

**"That is her," the lion said triumphantly. "we gotta get her out, open the door."**

**The threesome tried to open the door.**

**"Hurry! Please, hurry," Anne called out to her friends. "the hourglass is almost empty!"**

**"Stand back, Cheetah." the tin man ordered Anne.**

**"Okay." Anne told the tin man.**

**Anne stepped back from the door as her tin friend began to use his ax to chop at the door and free Anne.**

**Anne grabbed her basket as the last few grains of sand ran through the hourglass.**

**In no time flat, the tin man opened the door and Anne ran out the door and hugged the tin man.**

**"I am super glad you're safe." the tin man said to Anne.**

**The tin man released his grip on Anne as Chu Chu jumped into Anne's arms.**

**"Oh," Anne exclaimed. "oh Chu Chu! Tin Man Darling, I knew you'd come back! I knew you would!"**

**"Hurry," the scarecrow said to Anne. "we've got no time to lose!"**

**They soon escaped the room, but the doors to the staircase closed on Chu Chu and the foursome.**

**Somebody laughed evilly, "Going so soon? I wouldn't hear of it." the voice said.**

**The foursome turned to see the Wicked Witch of the West coming up to them.**

**"Yes, we were just leaving." the lion told the witch.**

**The lion turned, but he was stopped again.**

**"Why, my little party's just beginning." the witch said.**

**"Trapped," the lion said. "trapped like mice, rats."**

**The Wicked Witch of the West laughed again as her guards ran to help her.**

**Chu Chu growled and barked.**

**The witch then laughed again, "That's right, don't hurt them right away, we'll let them think about it a little first." she said, laughing.**

**The scarecrow saw a ton of lit candles and became afraid.**

**The witch then threw something that exploded and began smoking like crazy.**

**Though, the tin man trapped the witch's army with a chandelier, the witch was angrier than ever.**

**"Seize them! Stop them you fools," the witch yelled angrily. "stop them! Seize them!"**

**Anne and her comrades ran from the witch's army.**

**The witch's army continued running after them.**

**"There they go," the witch shouted. "now we've got them! Half of you go this way, half of you go that way! Hurry! Hurry!"**

**The chase was on as the army split up.**

**Anne and her companions stopped running, the army was on their trail.**

**"Where do we go now?" the lion asked.**

**"This way," the scarecrow answered. "come on!"**

**They all continued running.**

**Until, they were caught by the witch's army.**

**"Back!" the scarecrow shouted.**

**They all tan back the way they had come.**

**But they were soon cornered again.**

**The witch soon caught up with her army.**

**"Well," the witch said. "ring around the rosie a pocketful of spears, thought you'd be pretty foxy, didn't you? Well, the last to go will see the first three go before her! And her mangy little dog too!"**

**Anne saw the Wicked Witch of the West light a broom on fire, "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?" she heard the witch ask cruelly.**

**"No!" they shouted!**

**"Help! I'm burning! It's burning!" the scarecrow shouted.**

**"Don't throw that water!" the witch exclaimed.**

**Anne put the fire out on the scarecrow but drenched the wicked witch in the process.**

**"You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl could destroy my beautiful wickedness? Oh! Look out! I'm going!" the witch exclaimed.**

**All that was left of the Wicked Witch of the West was her hat and clothing as one of the guards came up to the remains.**

**"She... she's dead," the guard said. "you've killed her."**

**"I didn't mean to kill her," Anne replied to the guard. "really I didn't... it's... it's just that he was on fire."**

**"Hail to Anne," the guard exclaimed "the wicked witch is dead!"**

**"Hail! Hail to Anne," the other guards exclaimed "the wicked witch is dead!"**

**"The broom," Anne asked the guard. "may we have it?"**

**"Please," the guard said to Anne. "and take it with you."**

**"Oh," Anne exclaimed. "thank you so much! Now we can go back to the wizard, and tell him the wicked witch is dead."**

**"The wicked witch is dead!" the guards exclaimed.**

**When they got back to the wizard, they told him everything that happened.**

**"Can I believe my eyes? Why have you all come back?" the wizard asked.**

**"Please, sir, we've done what you told us," Anne said to the wizard. "we've brought you the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West."**

**"How did you do it?" the wizard asked Anne.**

**"We melted her." Anne explained to the wizard.**

**The wizard couldn't believe what Anne had said to him.**

**"Oh," the wizard said to Anne. "you liquidated her eh? Very resourceful."**

**"Yes sir, so we'd like you to keep your promise to us," Anne said to the wizard. "if you please sir."**

**"Not so fast! Not so fast! I'll have to give the matter a little thought, go away and come back tomorrow." the wizard said.**

**"Tomorrow? Oh but I want to go home now." Anne protested to the wizard.**

**The scarecrow stepped forward, "You've had plenty of time already."**

**"Yeah." the tin man agreed.**

**"DO NOT AROUSE THE WRATH OF THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ! I SAID COME BACK TOMORROW!" the wizard bellowed furiously as Chu Chu used his nose and sniffed behind a curtain.**

**"If you really were great and powerful," Anne shouted courageously. "you'd keep your promises!"**

**"Do you presume to criticize the great Oz?" the wizard asked.**

**Chu Chu then pulled back the curtain to reveal a boy about Anne's height.**

**"Tom?" Anne asked.**

**"You ungrateful creatures," the Wizard of Oz shouted. "think yourselves lucky that I'm giving you audience tomorrow... instead of twenty years from now... Oh! The great Oz has spoken! Oh! Pay no attention to the teenage boy behind the curtain!"**

**Anne walked over to the curtain and pulled it back herself.**

**"The great Oz has spoken." Oz said.**

**"Who are you?" Anne asked the boy.**

**"Oh! I am the great and powerful... Wizard of Oz." the boy said to Anne.**

**"You are?" Anne asked the boy who looked like Tom.**

**"Uh..." Oz began.**

**"I don't believe you!" Anne exclaimed.**

**"No, I'm afraid it's true," the wizard said to Anne, sighing sadly. "there's no other wizard except me."**

**"You humbug!" the scarecrow snapped at the wizard.**

**"Yeah." the lion said in agreement with the scarecrow.**

**"Yes, that's exactly so," the wizard said. "I'm a humbugg."**

**"Oh," Anne said. "you're a very bad teenage boy!"**

**"Oh no, my dear, I... I'm a very good teenage boy," the wizard said to Anne. "I'm just a very bad wizard."**

**"WHAT ABOUT THE HEART YOU PROMISED TIN MAN?" the scarecrow asked the wizard furiously.**

**"Well..." the wizard began.**

**"AND THE COURAGE THAT YOU PROMISED COWARDLY LION?" the scarecrow continued furiously.**

**"AND SCARECROW'S BRAIN?" the lion and the tin man asked the wizard furiously.**

**"Why, anybody can have a brain, that's a very mediocre commodity," the wizard said to the scarecrow. "every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain, back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning where men and women go to become great thinkers... and when they come out, they think deep thoughts... and with no more brains than you have, but, they have one thing you haven't got, a diploma, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me... by the Universitatus Committeeatum e pluribus unum... I hereby confer upon you... the honorary degree of Th.D."**

**"'Th.D?'" the scarecrow asked the wizard.**

**"Yeah, that's 'Doctor of Thinkology'." the wizard explained.**

**"The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side," the scarecrow said. "oh joy! Rapture! I've got a brain! How can I ever thank you enough?"**

**"Well, you can't." the wizard said.**

**The wizard then turn to the lion.**

**"As for you, my fine friend, you are a victim of disorganized thinking," the wizard told the lion. "you are under the unfortunate delusion that simply because you run away from danger, you have no courage, you are confusing courage with wisdom, back where I come from, we have men and women who are called heroes... once a year, they take their fortitude out of mothballs... and parade it down the main street of the city... and they have no more courage than you have, but they have one thing that you haven't got, a medal, therefore, for meritorious conduct... extraordinary valor, conspicuous bravery against wicked witches... I award you the Triple Cross, you are now a member of the Legion of Courage."**

**The wizard then hugged the lion and patted him on the back.**

**"Shucks, folks, I'm speechless." the lion said, blushing.**

**The wizard then turned to the tin man.**

**"As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart," the wizard told the tin man. "you don't know how lucky you are not to have one, hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."**

**"But, I still want one." the tin man said.**

**"Back where I come from, there are people who do nothing all day but good deeds, they are called... uh... good-deed-doers," the wizard said to the tin man. "and their hearts are no bigger than yours, but they have one thing you haven't got, a testimonial, therefore, in consideration of your kindness... I take pleasure at this time in presenting you... with a small token of our esteem and affection."**

**The wizard then put the new heart into the tin man's hands.**

**"And remember, my sentimental friend... that a heart is not judged by how much you love... but by how much you are loved by others." he continued.**

**The tin man then held his new heart up to his ear.**

**"It ticks! Listen! Look! It ticks!" the tin man exclaimed.**

**Anne laughed with the tin man.**

**"Read what my medal says," the lion says. "courage, ain't it the truth? Ain't it the truth?"**

**"Oh," Anne exclaimed. "they're all wonderful!"**

**"Hey, what about Anne?" the scarecrow said.**

**"Yes, how about Anne?" the tin man said.**

**"Yes," the lion said to the wizard. "Anne next."**

**"Yes, " the wizard said. "Anne."**

**"Oh," Anne said. "I don't think there's anything in that black bag for me."**

**"Well, you forced me into a cataclysmic decision," the wizard said. "the only way to get Anne back to New Orleans... is for me to take her there myself."**

**Anne just gasped in shock.**

**"Oh, will you," Anne asked. "could you? Oh! But are you a clever-enough wizard to manage it?"**

**"Miss, you cut me to the quick," the wizard said. "I'm from New Orleans myself! Born to travel around the world! Premier magician par excellence... until one day... my magic curtain failed to return me to the stage!"**

**"It did?" the scarecrow asked the wizard.**

**"Weren't you frightened?" Anne asked Oz.**

**"Frightened? You're talking to a teen who has laughed in the face of death... sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe, I was petrified, then suddenly, my magic curtain brought me into the heart of this noble city where I was instantly acclaimed Oz... the First Wizard Deluxe."**

**"Oh!" Anne exclaimed.**

**"Times being what they were, I accepted the job... retaining my curtain against the advent of a quick getaway, and through that curtain, my dear Anne, you and I will return... to the land of e pluribus unum."**

**"Oh!" Anne exclaimed.**

**A few minutes later, Anne, Chu Chu, and the wizard were in front of the wizard's magic curtain.**

**"This is positively the finest exhibition ever to be be shown!" the wizard exclaimed.**

**The citizens of the Emerald City all cheered.**

**"Yes, well, be that as it may," the wizard said. "I, your wizard per ardua et alta... am about to embark on upon a hazardous... and technically unexpainable journey... into the outer stratosphere."**

**The crowd then cheered again.**

**"To confer, converse, and otherwise hobnob... with my brother wizards," the wizard said. "and I hereby decree that until what time... if any, that I return, the scarecrow by virtue of his highly superior brains, shall rule in my stead... assisted by the tin man, by virtue of his magnificent heart... and the lion by virtue of his courage, obey them as you would me, thank you."**

**Chu Chu growled, barked, then jumped out of Anne's arms, he had seen a cat and wanted to chase it.**

**"Oh, Chu Chu! Come back," Anne said. "Chu Chu, Chu Chu!"**

**Anne stepped forward from the magic curtain.**

**"Oh! Don't go without me," Anne begged the wizard. "I'll be right back, Chu Chu! Chu Chu come back!"**

**Anne raced after Chu Chu.**

**"Stop that dog!" a woman exclaimed.**

**The wizard stepped through his magical back curtain, "This is a highly irregular procedure, absolutely unprecedented, ruined my exit!" he exclaimed.**

**Anne screamed making her way back with Chu Chu.**

**"Come back! Come back! Don't go without me, please come back." Anne begged the wizard.**

**"I can't come back," the wizard told Anne. "I don't know how it works, good bye folks!"**

**The wizard disappeared from Anne's view.**

**"Good bye!" the Emerald City crowd said to the wizard.**

**"Oh, now I'll never get home." Anne said.**

**"Stay with us then, Anne," the lion said gently. "we all love you, we don't want you to go."**

**"Oh," Anne said. "that's very kind of you... but this could never be like New Orleans, Pop and Rosa must have stopped wondering what happened to me by now... oh Scarecrow, what am I going to do?"**

**The scarecrow saw a ball of turquoise light heading their way.**

**"Look," the scarecrow said to Anne. "here's someone who can help you."**

**They all now saw the same ball of turquise light heading their way as Guinevere appeared in her long turquoise gown.**

**"Oh! Will you help me," Anne asked Guinevere. "can you help me?"**

**"You don't need to be helped any longer, you've always had the power to go back to New Orleans." Guinevere said to Anne.**

**"I have?" Anne asked Guinevere.**

**"Then," the scarecrow asked Guinevere. "why didn't you tell her before?"**

**"Because she wouldn't have believed me," Guinevere answered the scarecrow. "she had to learn it for herself."**

**The lion asked leaned forward to Anne.**

**"What have you learned, Anne?" the lion asked.**

**"Well, I learned that it wasn't enough just to see Pop, Rosa, and all of my siblings, especially Alan," Anne answered the lion. "and it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again... I won't look any further than my own backyard... because if it isn't there... I never really lost it to begin with, is that right?"**

**"That's all it is." Guinevere answered Anne.**

**"But that's so easy," the scarecrow said to Anne. "I should have thought of it for you."**

**"I should have felt it in my heart." the tin man said to Anne.**

**"No," Guinevere said to the tin man firmly. "she had to find it out for herself, now, those magic sneakers will take you home in two seconds."**

**"Oh," Anne said to Guinevere. "Chu Chu too?"**

**"Chu Chu too." Guinevere said to Anne.**

**"Oh," Anne asked Guinevere. "now?"**

**"Whever you wish." Guinevere said to Anne.**

**"Oh dear," Anne exclaimed. "that's too wonderful to be true! Oh, it's going to be so hard to say good bye, I love everyone here too, **_**Zàijiàn**_**, Lion."**

**The lion began sobbing.**

**"Oh don't cry, you'll send yourself into a tailspin!" Anne said to the lion.**

**"Ha ha ha... I get it! Tail! Cause I've got one!" the lion laughed.**

**"**_**Zàijiàn**_**, Scarecrow," Anne said. "you know, I know it isn't right... but I'm gonna miss the way your recklessness got us into trouble... before you got your brain."**

**"I would never have gotten it," the scarecrow said to Anne. "if it hadn't been for you."**

**Anne hugged the tin man and then handed his oilcan back to him.**

**"I think I'll miss you most of all, Buddy." Anne said to the tin man.**

**"Take care of yourself, Cheetah." the tin man said to Anne.**

**"Are you ready now?" Guinevere asked Anne.**

**"Yes, say good bye, Chu Chu," Anne answered Guinevere. "yes, I'm ready now."**

**"Then close your eyes, and jump up and down three times," Guinevere said to Anne. "and think to yourself, 'There's no place like home, there's no place like home'."**

**Anne jumped up and down three times.**

**"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Anne said.**

**Back in the hotel suite, Anne was still delirious as Henry &amp; Suzie were helping Charlie &amp; Rosa make the beds, while Flip read a comic book to Scooter.**

**Nancy was watching Anne worriedly.**

**"Is Anne okay, Tom?" Nancy asked.**

**"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Anne repeated.**

**Tom took the thermometer out of Anne's mouth.**

**"Her temperature has reverted to normal, but she is still delirious." Tom answered Nancy, sighing seriously.**

**Alan had fallen asleep in a kneeling position by Anne's side, his head was on his twin's mattress, Stanley was standing by Alan's side.**

**"Hey, Alan, how can you tell there's been a cat in the pantry," Stanley joked. "by the fur on the Fritos!"**

**"Pass me the crescent wrench, Cheetah." Alan sighed serenely, Stanley didn't realize that Alan was talking in his sleep again.**

**"What?" Stanley asked, feeling baffled.**

**"Alan is talking in his sleep again, Stanley." Suzie said firmly.**

**"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Anne repeated.**

**"Don't worry, Nancy," Mimi said, trying to comfort her closest older sister. "Anne will be all right, you'll see."**

**"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Anne repeated once again.**

**Rosa went over to Anne's side and placed a cold cloth on her forehead.**

**"Wake up, honey." Rosa said to Anne.**

**"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Anne repeated, opening her brown eyes.**

**"Everyone! Anne has made her triumphant return to consciousness!" Tom exclaimed.**

**"There's no place..." Anne began.**

**"Anne dear, it's Rosa, darling." Rosa said.**

**"Oh Rosa," Anne said. "it's you."**

**"Yes, Darling." Rosa said.**

**"Anne! You're well again!" Henry exclaimed.**

**"Yeah, she got quite a bump on the head," Charlie said to his eldest son. "we kind of thought there for a minute she was gonna leave us."**

**Anne sat up a bit too quickly.**

**"But I did leave you, Pop, that's just the trouble! And I tried to get back for days and days!" Anne protested.**

**"There there, lie quiet now," Rosa said to Anne. "you just had a bad dream."**

**The rest of Anne's siblings gathered around Anne's bed.**

**"Sure." Henry said to Anne.**

**"Do you remember us?" Suzie asked.**

**"Henry, Stanley," Anne exclaimed. "Suzie!"**

**"What about us?" three more voices asked Anne in unison.**

**"Nancy, Mimi," Anne answered. "Scooter!"**

**"Remember me, Annie?" a voice asked.**

**"Flip!" Anne exclaimed.**

**"And me?" another voice asked Anne.**

**"Tom you walking dictionary! Who would forget you?" Anne laughed.**

**"I'm glad you awoke from your somniloquous dream, Anne." Tom laughed.**

**"But it wasn't a dream, it was a place," Anne said to her siblings ruffling Alan's hair. "and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you were there."**

**Alan opened his brown eyes and straightened his sunglasses, "What about me, Annie, was I there?" he asked.**

**"And of course you were there too, Alan." Anne laughed.**

**"Sure." Anne's nine siblings laughed in unison.**

**"But you couldn't have been could you?" Anne asked her siblings curiously.**

**"We dream lots of silly things when we..." Rosa began.**

**"No, Rosa! This was a real, truly live place," Anne said. "and I remember that some of it wasn't very nice... but most of it was beautiful, but just the same... all I kept saying to everybody was, 'I want to go home.' And they sent me home."**

**"They did, did they?" Alan asked Anne, chuckling lightly.**

**"Doesn't anybody believe me?" Anne asked.**

**"Of course we believe you, Anne." Charlie said.**

**Anne sat up again, "But anyway, Chu Chu, we're home! Home! And this is our suite, and you're all here! And I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And... oh Pop, Rosa, there's no place like home."**

**Anne sat on the bed with her feet dangling over the edge.**

**"Wow, Anne," Suzie said. "nice sneakers, where'd you get them?"**

**"Oh! My ruby sneakers from the Land of Oz," Anne exclaimed. "so it wasn't a dream!"**

**Rosa undid the laces on Anne's ruby sneakers and took them off Anne's feet, "I will put these in your suitcase so you can take them home to California with you when we leave." she said to Anne.**

**"Thank you, Rosa." Anne said.**

**"You're welcome, Anne." Rosa said kindly.**


End file.
